Borussia Dortmund Mid Season Review

Overall reactions to the season so far and conclusions

While individual player performances have shaped the course of the season so far for Borussia Dortmund, the biggest, and most important aspect to reflect on is the mentality the team has had throughout the first half of the season. It has been a mentality of unity and cohesiveness, something I feel the team has lacked very much in the last few seasons. Whether it be to underperforming coaches or disgruntled players, the club had gone stale.

The rebuild that Zorc, Watzke, Sammer and Kehl worked so hard to bring to fruition over the summer has paid dividends as fresh faces and fresh ideas have simply clicked very quickly, thanks in large part to Lucien Favre’s coaching ability and proper club management from the top down. Axel Witsel has voiced much of the same sentiment in recent interviews, stating that:

"“I am convinced that it can be a special year for the fans, the club and for us players…There is a very special atmosphere around this club and you need that. We want to achieve something big.”"

It is precisely this sort of sentiment and feeling that has seen Dortmund battle through the first half of the season with vigor and determination, often flipping results that in past seasons may have ended in lost points to results yielding all 3 points. Of course, they have been helped by a dip in the form of Bayern Munich, but that is not to down play the fact that this is a vastly improved Dortmund side with the right personnel in the right positions with the right mentality, on and off the field.

While I cannot hope to say what I believe the second half of the season will yield for Dortmund, I can say this: it has already been a special season for the players and fans alike. We can only hope that this form continues and that the season will conclude as spectacularly as it started, but not just with a win, but a Bundesliga title to show for it.