Marius Wolf: From Borussia Dortmund back-up to Germany international
By Ishan Tyagi
Marius Wolf’s post-World Cup resurgence
With Thomas Meunier injured, Marius Wolf got his chance to become more than a utility player for Borussia Dortmund. Meunier relied on giving width to the team and crossing the ball into the box, an approach that wasn’t really working for Dortmund since the Black and Yellows have rarely doubled down on a man-in-the-middle outlook (discussion for a different day).
Conversely, Wolf has added an aspect of coming in on the inside, giving BVB another arrow in their quiver. The 27 year old inverting himself has given Borussia Dortmund more passing options on the edge of the box, giving the likes of Marco Reus and Julian Brandt an extra degree of freedom and space to move into.
And his aerial prowess allows BVB to press up right from the opposition goal kick. These combinations have given Borussia Dortmund more stability in defence and options in attack, as reflected in the results in 2023.