Borussia Dortmund taken back to earth by their poor Bundesliga form

Since finishing 5th in the 2009/2010 season of the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund has been enjoying perhaps the most successful period in their history. The Gelsenkirchen club has since then lifted the Bundesliga title twice, the German Cup once as well as an impressive run to the Champions League final in 2013. Their enthusiastic manager Jurgen Klopp has built their success based on the promise of youth and putting together a team that reflects his personality as a human being.

Despite losing at least one of their best talents every season since 2011, the BVB has always been able to step up their level with the high press and high energy style that Klopp has masterminded. The likes of Nuri Sahin, Shinji Kagawa, Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski have all left the club but the fans are hopeful their heroes will continue to deliver success. The Signal Iduna Park is one of the most feared Stadia in Europe and even the biggest clubs in Europe doesn’t fancy a trip to play in front of the Yellow Wall.

Since last August when they lost Ilkay Gundogan to injury, Dortmund has seen many of their prized assets falling victims to injuries. Klopp must be cursing his luck with the injury crisis he is facing with Champions League and Bundesliga games coming thick and fast. Marco Reus, Kuba Blaszczykowski, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmeltzer and Sven Bender have all suffered long-term injuries which has affected the quality and performance of the club on the pitch. Those injuries all followed Lukasz Piszczek’s hip surgery after the Champions League final in 2013. 

Despite finishing runners-up to Bayern Munich last season, Klopp’s men were well below the standard they have set and it has carried over into this current season so far. Surely the injuries haven’t help their cause but their poor form is a huge cause for concern. With just 8 games played so far, Dortmund has lost on 5 occasions with just 2 wins and a draw. They find themselves in unfamiliar territory at 14th in the table, already 13 points behind Bayern with just 7 points on the board.

Their stylish and slick passing philosophy has looked a distant memory and the energy in their play is non-existent. They are struggling to find any rhythm especially in the middle and final third while they are just unbelievably poor at the back. Their defense is providing very little or no protection for Roman Weidenfeller in goal and Klopp must work on that aspect of their play in the Bundesliga for a start.

There is a significant contrast in the Champions League where the BVB are flawless after 3 games. Even more amazing for the BVB is that they have kept 3 clean sheets while finding the back of the net on 9 occasions. Of their 3 victories, 2 were on the road Anderlecht and Galatasaray with their home victory coming against Arsenal. The demand of playing at the highest level twice per week could be a reason for their poor Bundesliga displays but they now have a squad with good quality in their depth.

While the fans are excited by their European adventure so far, they will be seriously concerned about what is happening domestically. Klopp has seen a few players return from injury which is great for the club but still it could take a little while for them to become fully fit and match sharp which could allow enough room for Bayern to move out of sight.

Importantly for Dortmund they can use the positive energy and results from Europe to drive success domestically and Klopp has the ability to take the pressure off his players. It is perhaps a matter of time before they hit their strides in the Bundesliga but that cannot come soon enough for the club and their fans. There were injury scares for Mats Hummels, Kagawa and Bender in their victory at Galatasaray but the signs are there that the BVB can turn around their fortunes in the Bundesliga.