Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-1 Borussia Dortmund: Takeaways from disappointing draw in a winnable match

Borussia Dortmund still rely too much on individual quality rather than the collective

The performance exposed (once again) how Borussia Dortmund struggle when in possession. Even with BVB controlling the ball and pushing their opponents against their own box, they continue to break the lines as a collective unit and consistently create high xG chances.

Schematically, Sahin set up the team in possession to transition to a 2-3-5 with Ryerson and Bensebaini as wide players. The full-backs also have the freedom to invert on the inside and compose the midfield three with Nmecha. It is an interesting approach on paper, but the midfield still seems to be lacking out-of-the-box thinking, as the team could not find solutions against Gladbach's low block.

The right side was especially a problem without Adeyemi's ability to do the unpredictable. With Beier, the team at times lacks the speed and technique to finish plays. An indicator of that is Guirassy, as he drifted back to support the build-up too much and too often, which left him away from the areas he should have been in to finish on goal.

At last, the most concrete example from this thesis is Dortmund's opening goal. Jamie Gittens' magic worked once again, with the youngster required to face two defenders at a clear disadvantage scenario and little support from his teammates. It has been working throughout the season; however, BVB cannot rely solely on individual talent as football is still a collective sport.