Gregor Kobel can be Borussia Dortmund’s difference-maker in Der Klassiker

Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel is fit ahead of the club’s top of the table clash with Bayern Munich this coming Saturday.

It’s no secret that Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel is an exceptional keeper. Since joining the club from Stuttgart in the summer of 2021, he has been sensational in goal for Die Schwarzgelben, often pulling off top class saves when the club needs them the most. These performances have led the club to try and offer the Swiss shot stopper a new contract that would keep him at the club long term and make him one of the club’s highest earners.

Kobel’s presence in goal has led to stability Dortmund hasn’t seen in the keeper position since the days of Roman Weidenfeller in his prime, which at this point seems like a bygone age. Weidenfeller recently heaped praise on Kobel, calling him one of the club’s most important signings in recent years, and I certainly agree with the Dortmund legend’s analysis. Kobel, I’d argue, has been one of Dortmund’s most pivotal signings of the last few seasons based both on his class between the sticks, as well as the intangible effect his attitude and mentality have helped shape Dortmund’s game when he is on the pitch.

The first thing we can look at to determine just how much of an effect Kobel has had when he’s been fit is to compare his performances with that of Dortmund’s number two keeper, Alexander Meyer. Meyer has had his fair share of action this season, particularly because Kobel has been dealing with a substantial amount of injury concerns. He sustained a torn muscle fibre in September of last year, as well as dealt with abductor problems prior to the World Cup induced break, and most recently suffered from concerns surrounding his thigh, which have kept him out all of March.

Despite being a more than capable backup keeper, Meyer is, without a doubt, no Gregor Kobel. While this once again may seem like and obvious statement, the numbers really do highlight just how big the gap is. Taking a look at Kobel’s stats first, the Swiss shot stopper boasts 76.8% save percentage over the course of the last year. He also has a 45.8% clean sheet percentage which puts him in the 94th percentile of keepers in the top 5 leagues. Meyer, in comparison has a save percentage of 67.3% and clean sheet percentage of 18.2%, which are clearly well below Kobel’s own output in those two areas.

It’s not just the numbers that make Kobel such a formidable keeper however. Kobel is a natural leader on and off the pitch for his side, and particularly during games can often be seen marshaling his defense. One of the main qualms many had with previous Dortmund keepers like Roman Bürki or Martin Hitz was that their communication skills and ability to organize the defense were not their strong suits, and this lead to cracks in Dortmund’s armor. Kobel has done a lot to rectify this via the energy and charisma he displays when communicating with the players playing in front of him, and that has allowed the whole team to feel far more secure defensively.

A keeper with all the qualities mentioned is a true advantage for any team, and no team sums this up better than Dortmund’s opponents on Saturday: Bayern. The Rekordmeister has benefitted from the services of Manuel Neuer for a long time now, and there is a plethora of instances where his leadership, defensive organization and sheer talent to make world class saves has made all the difference for his side, even when they have gone through defensively porous spells on the pitch.

Bayern will be without the services of Neuer on Saturday due to the player breaking his leg in a ski accident at the end of last year, which will see the tables turned for a change, at least when it comes to which side has access to a keeper of immense talents. Dortmund now have the services of a similarly talismanic keeper that can make all the difference for them this coming weekend.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, the goalkeeper made sure to clarify that he is ready and available for the game in Munich on Saturday, but the final decision is not up to him:

"“I’m fit again, in the end you have to see what Edin does, but I’m fit again and available.”"

This is by and far the most high stakes clash between Germany’s top two sides in recent years, and with so much optimistic news in terms of players coming back from injury just in time, Gregor Kobel will likely come into the starting XI on Saturday. And I have no doubt that should Dortmund prevail over their main title-rivals, Kobel will have a very important hand in making that happen.