On paper, it looks perfect. Five wins in five games. Best start to a Bundesliga season since 2015-16 season. One of only two teams in the competition right now with a 100% win record. Sounds good, right?
Well, it does until you start to dig a little deeper. Dortmund sure are winning, but remain far from convincing. Their footballing quality has been anything but impressive, although their ability to grind out results certainly is.
Against Paderborn, the BVB were run over by their opponents yet again. Between their first goal in the fifth minute until their second one in the 80th, the North Rhine-Westphalia side were almost on even terms.
With a little more cutting edge in finishing, they might as well have bagged a few goals too, especially in a first half where the promoted side were particularly menacing and were enjoying a lot of territorial dominance too.
I mean, just look at the stats: Paderborn had more shots from inside the box (5) at the break than Dortmund (1) while also nearly twice as many touches in the opposition box (15 to 8). They also finished with a higher expected goals (xG) than BVB despite trailing 1-0.
Although Niko Kovac's side displayed more urgency and control after the break with some fresh legs turning the tide, their overall game still lacked a proper shape or direction. Because on far too many occasions, it simply felt like their only gameplan was to somehow find either Serhou Guirassy or Fabio Silva, and then hope the forwards manage the rest.
The attacking duo sure combined for their opening goal, with the Guinean ace sending a vertical ball forward for his Portuguese counterpart to chase on the break and then finish it for 1-0. But you can't play the whole game like that, especially when the other side is fearlessly taking the game to you.
Back in the Bundesliga after six years, Paderborn were eventually undone by profligate finishing, having also drawn a blank in their previous two top-flight matches despite a combined 23 shots. But Die Borussen won't enjoy such luck against every opposition.
Against Hofffenheim and Villarreal too, the side needed some late inspiration while against Hamburger, they started off brightly but lost control of the game after the break to allow their visitors back into the contest, just without scoring.
For a team that has serious ambitions of competing for titles, this isn't enough. In fact, Ethan Nwaneri himself admitted it wasn't their best game, they just 'found a way to win'. That trait may work in a few games; against teams of lesser quality. But in the long run, it would stand exposed, with the bigger and mightier sides capitalizing on their critical lack of a conscientious footballing philosophy.
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