Like it or not, Bundesliga football has been put on hold this week as most players were summoned by their respective countries for international duties.
For Borussia Dortmund specifically this means not less than 12 absentees for the week – the ideal moment to take a breather and reflect on the season thus far:
What has gone right
An awful lot. It is certainly tempting to make that sweeping generalisation in the face of just one Bundesliga defeat in 12 matches (the obligatory Bayern defeat) and a goal scoring average of 2.9 per encounter. But it is more than sheer stats that substantiate the country-wide sentiment that Dortmund have easily reclaimed the title of Germany’s second powerhouse. Coach Thomas Tuchel has brought in fresh ideas and legs, further rejuvenating the holding midfield with the introduction of quick-witted Julian Weigl and completely revitalising the offensive department on the pitch. The offensive trio around Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been in scintillating form right from the start of the season, consistently delivering top grade performances and scoring incredible goals from all corners and angles. Next to a stellar work rate on the wings and an unusually high conversion rate this year, the tremendous depth of the squad is best epitomised by United loan Adnan Januzaj, who was heralded as an absolute star signing for the black and yellows but now finds himself grappling with the role of second to third substitute at best.
What has gone wrong?
By implication of the above, there is fairly little to genuinely decry at this point. Then again, what cannot be argued is that defensively, both collectively and individually BVB still have some homework to do. Too many times this season – even if we take the Bayern Munich slip up out of the equation – Dortmund have found themselves on the end of deadly counter-attacks that they failed to either stop in emergence or at least eventually clear before they mean serious danger for goalkeeper Roman Buerki. Now that they have implemented a new style of play offensively, it appears that they have ironically become more vulnerable to their very own former style of attacking, namely the darting quick transitions once possession is given away in the opponent’s half. More individually speaking, there is no denying that skipper Mats Hummels has so far put in below-par performances aplenty, raising many questions among fans as to what could have caused this perceived step backwards. Hummels’ list of individual mistakes is disconcertingly long for the young campaign, something the 26-year-old will want to cut out altogether as soon as possible.
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The best player so far – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Of all the players currently performing on top of their games, Aubameyang is still easily the standout so far. The French-Gabonese striker has scored a staggering 14 goals in 12 Bundesliga matches, bagged another eight in the domestic cup and Europa League combined, while also providing assists for another five goals. There is simply no stopping Aubameyang, who seems an even more complete striker under Tuchel. Predecessor Robert Lewandowski’s hallmark was his ability to shield the ball from multiple defenders at once and still dispense it to a teammate. Aubameyang’s is inarguably his incredible pace at first, but he also has increasingly developed the smarts to thread the incisive pass to a colleague when a gap opens up. When the 26-year-old joined the club he quickly found a good friend in the figurehead Marco Reus, then the unrivalled, shining beacon of BVB. Around about two years later, it is not out of the question to say that those tables have turned and Reus would be pretty well advised to draw inspiration from Aubameyang.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored 21 goals in 20 appearances (all comps.) for Borussia Dortmund this season. pic.twitter.com/BGj9QB9dSB
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 5, 2015
What is next?
In all three competitions, Dortmund have brought themselves into a formidable position for the remaining challenges before Christmas. Trailing the rampant Bayern by five is not all that bad considering a fairly demanding first 12 matchdays (Schalke, Leverkusen, Bayern included), while they are continuing to widen the distance to third placed Wolfsburg. Their next match will see them take on Hamburg away, followed by welcoming VfB Stuttgart at home. It is the Wolves thereafter, in what might be coined the last genuine test this year for black and yellow.
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