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Banter Bar exclusive interview with Borussia Dortmund legend Patrick Owomoyela

By Brian Szlenk Straub

DORTMUND, GERMANY - MARCH 17: Patrick Owomoyela of Dortmund is seen after winning the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and SV Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park on March 17, 2012 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - MARCH 17: Patrick Owomoyela of Dortmund is seen after winning the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and SV Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park on March 17, 2012 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images) /
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FREIBURG IM BREISGAU, GERMANY – OCTOBER 05: goalkeeper Roman Buerki of Borussia Dortmund and Manuel Akanji of Borussia Dortmund own goal during the Bundesliga match between Sport-Club Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund at Schwarzwald-Stadion on October 5, 2019 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
FREIBURG IM BREISGAU, GERMANY – OCTOBER 05: goalkeeper Roman Buerki of Borussia Dortmund and Manuel Akanji of Borussia Dortmund own goal during the Bundesliga match between Sport-Club Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund at Schwarzwald-Stadion on October 5, 2019 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

Defensive frailties and corners: Dortmund’s kryptonite

The discussion surrounding Borussia Dortmund’s defensive woes has become an ever present topic of conversation, so I felt it would be remiss of me to not ask one of Dortmund’s former defenders what he thought of the current defensive situation as a whole.

"“Defense is always crucial to the success overall. We have a very attacking style of defending,  especially our wide defenders…[they]…are very much going forward, and that always bears a little risk defensively…”"

Indeed, Owo’s assessment is quite accurate. In Dortmund’s last few games especially, the combination of both Hakimi and Guerreiro out wide in defense has made for some very attacking displays; displays that sometimes leave Dortmund open at the back. In the games against Frankfurt, Bremen and Freiburg, teams have exploited gaps left by players such as Rapha, who’s attacking mindset can sometimes get in the way of defensive duties.

I have long thought that Rapha’s best position was either in central midfield or on the left wing, but the injury to Nico Schulz has made it necessary for Rapha to once again serve in the role of utility player.

Of all of Dortmund’s defensive woes in recent months, the most glaring has been their defense of set pieces and corners, which was something Owo also highlighted during our conversation:

"“There’s always room to improve and things to work on especially when it comes to set pieces. The team really struggled last season and already this season when it came to defensive corners or defensive set plays. This is something they have to work on physically, and they should be able to defend [them] better.”"

With the quality the team possesses at the back, set pieces should never be as lethal as they have been, but as we’ve mentioned, quality alone isn’t going to get the team over the line. The defense, just as last season, has been constantly shifting. The starting back line, in my mind, consists of Piszczek, Akanji, Hummels and Schulz, all of whom have had hardly any time on the pitch together to gel and learn to play as a unit. This has been due to injuries suffered by almost every member of that envisioned back line. The constant shifting hasn’t led to stability, which is something this team needs right now.