Borussia Dortmund 1-5 Stuttgart: Talking points from the game which ended the Lucien Favre era

Defensive organization once again proves to be Dortmund’s undoing

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we’ve come to yet another moment in time where the defensive frailties of Borussia Dortmund have come to the fore in a glaring manner, costing them a prime opportunity to close the gap between themselves and the teams ahead of them in the table.

With the loss to Stuttgart, Dortmund are five points adrift of the Bavarian giants after they drew against Union Berlin this weekend. The opening of this gap could be pinned in one sense on Favre’s tactics, but at the end of the day the players are the only ones that can put in a shift to determine the outcome of the game.

The defence had a very sloppy afternoon, and individual mistakes were a good portion of the reason why Dortmund conceded the amount of goals the the final scoreline displayed. Taking Stuttgart’s second goal to start with, Raphael Guerreiro and Jude Bellingham’s interplay at the edge of their own box was a rather risky manoeuvre to try, considering the amount of Stuttgart players around them (3) that were ready to pounce on the ball.

Dortmund have a tendency to want to play out the back, which in most situations is fine, except for when one is outnumbered in a tight space so close to goal. A bit more awareness would’ve allowed Rapha to instead try to play the ball out or further forward to relieve the pressure. Instead, his pass back to Bellingham created an opportunity for a turnover in a dangerous area, which Stuttgart capitalized on very quickly. Turnovers in spaces such as this allow for very little time for fellow defenders to react, and that hesitation and time, or lack thereof, created the space for Silas Wamangituka and Orel Mangala to combine for 2-1.

In a similarly concerning fashion, the third goal came from what seemed to be a lapse in concentration and commitment from the defense. Croatian midfielder Borna Sosa had an all too easy time delivering an incisive pass to teammate Philipp Förster in the box. The ball bypassed 5 Dortmund players on its way to Förster, and despite being surrounded by both Rapha and Hummels, he was allowed to slot home, further extending Stuttgart’s lead. Once again, it was a chance that was allowed very unnecessarily; a chance that could have been closed down. Until Dortmund learn to close these gaps and steel their concentration, these will be the moments that prove most costly throughout the season to come.

Final Thoughts

Overall, its difficult to look at this result to glean anything positive out of it. A 5-1 thrashing never bodes well for the state the squad is in, both in terms of form and confidence. With the winter break fast approaching, it will however be important for Die Schwarzgelben to bounce back quickly with games against Werder Bremen and Union Berlin looming on the horizon.

With Union in form, and Werder a bogey team for Borussia Dortmund in the last couple seasons, they will have to be at their best to come away with a crucial 6 points. Interim manager Edin Terzic will have a mammoth job on his hands to stabilize the club and lead them to victory so that Dortmund can keep pace with the teams at the top and make sure they don’t slip away any farther.

Borussia Dortmund’s goals for the season are in real jeopardy should results not begin to shift in their favour soon. The post Favre era begins now, and all we can do is hope for the best and hang on for the ride.