Borussia Dortmund squad depth analysis: Midfielders

Marco Reus

Der Kapitän is entering his eleventh season for Borussia Dortmund, but he looks about as fresh on the pitch as he did in 2012. Despite having injury problems over the last several years, Reus finally appeared to be in full form and fitness last season, playing in 41 out of 46 possible games.

Despite being 33, Reus is still a crucial component for Borussia Dortmund, and his ability to control the game in the attacking midfield position is second to none. Provided that Reus can continue his fitness streak, he should thrive in Terzic’s 4-2-3-1 system as the number ten. Reus is also in the final year of his contract, so expect him to show the BVB bosses plenty of reasons to extend his contract and keep him around for several more years.

Julian Brandt

Brandt came into the BVB squad in the same transfer window that Thorgan Hazard, Mats Hummels, and Nico Schulz did. Much like Hazard, however, Brandt has been a mixed bag since first arriving at the Signal Iduna Park. Last season was one of his most productive seasons for the Black and Yellows, as he racked up nine goals and added ten assists in 40 appearances.

Playing time might be rather hard to come by this season for Julian Brandt. Reus is the obvious and clear choice to play in the number ten role, and Gio Reyna is coming back from injury and will more than likely be the next choice for playing time. Brandt has shown some versatility recently in being able to slide further back and play more in the central midfield, but he lacks the defensive acumen to be the first choice there. However, Brandt should prove to be a very valuable depth piece for Dortmund, and the option to bring someone with his skillset off the bench is a luxury not many teams have.

Gio Reyna

Last season was an incredibly disappointing season for Gio Reyna. The young American missed a total of 33 games after suffering a recurring muscle injury. Despite only playing in thirteen games, he still scored two goals and added two assists, and looked really good when he was on the pitch.

One of Reyna’s greatest strengths is his ability to retain ball possession and draw fouls. He can play pretty much anywhere in attack, and his ability to shield the ball from opponents and pick up fouls in good positions on the pitch has proven valuable for side.

Reyna finally made his return to the first team in a substitute appearance against Werder Bremen on matchday three. Edin Terzic said in July that his plan is to slowly integrate Gio Reyna back into the squad. One might say that a lot of the issues with Reyna’s fitness last season stemmed from being rushed back into action before he was fully fit, and Terzic will certainly want to avoid that.  Here’s to hoping that he can stay healthy and return to the superb form that he enjoyed in previous seasons.