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Borussia Dortmund Mid Season Review

By Brian Szlenk Straub

Dortmund's players greet supporters as they celebrate after winning their the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig in Dortmund, western Germany, on August 26, 2018. (Photo by SASCHA SCHUERMANN / AFP) / RESTRICTIONS: DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo credit should read SASCHA SCHUERMANN/AFP/Getty Images)
Dortmund's players greet supporters as they celebrate after winning their the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig in Dortmund, western Germany, on August 26, 2018. (Photo by SASCHA SCHUERMANN / AFP) / RESTRICTIONS: DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo credit should read SASCHA SCHUERMANN/AFP/Getty Images) /
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GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – DECEMBER 08: Thomas Delaney of Dortmund celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund at the Veltins Arena on December 08, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images)
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – DECEMBER 08: Thomas Delaney of Dortmund celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund at the Veltins Arena on December 08, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images) /

Special games – Special results

The first half of the season played host to some very memorable clashes. The aforementioned win against Augsburg was one of the most memorable, I believe. Paco Alcacer’s third goal in stoppage time came as a surprise for everyone, the shot leaving the keeper rooted to the spot. It would be one of the games that defined Paco Alcacer as the Bundesliga’s best super sub.

The game away to Bayer Leverkusen is another game worth mentioning, as it had Borussia Dortmund fighting an uphill battle in the form of a 2-0 deficit for most of the game. Emphatic goals from Jacob Bruun Larsen, Marco Reus, and once again Alcacer turned the game on its head in the second half, the last goal which came from a sublime Jadon Sancho pass that let Paco Alcacer run onto an open net.

Borussia Dortmund’s aforementioned clash with Schalke 04 also deserves its moment in the sun as an example of Dortmund getting the job done in a clinical fashion. Goals from Thomas Delaney and Jadon Sancho put Dortmund’s rivals in the Ruhr to bed, with Delaney grabbing his first for the club with a header made possible by a wonderful free kick from Marco Reus to open the scoring. Having lost and drawn the previous two Revierderbies this was an important win for Dortmund that has helped them reclaim respect in the Ruhr as the dominant team.

DORTMUND, GERMANY – OCTOBER 24: Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Group A match of the UEFA Champions League between Borussia Dortmund and Club Atletico de Madrid at Signal Iduna Park on October 24, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY – OCTOBER 24: Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Group A match of the UEFA Champions League between Borussia Dortmund and Club Atletico de Madrid at Signal Iduna Park on October 24, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images) /

In the Champions League, the 4-0 win against Atletico Madrid will be one that fans will remember for a very, very long time to come. Stellar performances from the likes of Witsel, Guerrero and Hakimi stamped Dortmund’s authority on the game and on the group, with the Black and Yellows coming away with 3 points in a game many thought would end in a draw. It proved a sturdy test for Lucien Favre’s side and certainly provided fodder for the winning flame the team has nurtured all season long, having only lost twice across all competitions so far. Dortmund would go on to top their group, in large part to the 3 points they earned in this game.

Finally, the game against Bayern Munich. This game could not go without a mention simply because it propelled Dortmund into furthering their lead over the Bavarian giants, and in some ways surely broke the mental barrier that has seemed to plague Dortmund whenever they played their rivals. They showed that they can in fact beat Bayern, rebounding from the 6-0 drubbing they received in their last meeting with the current German Champions. It was also very nice to see Marco Reus score in this game as captain. He led the team in what I would say has been their biggest challenge so far this season and they came out victorious, an accomplishment Reus will surely cherish for a long time to come.

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