Borussia Dortmund sit a disappointing fourth in the Bundesliga with an overall record of nine wins, seven draws and three losses. When it comes to the Bundesliga, there’s almost no standing up to 26-time champions Bayern Munich. However, since 2010, Dortmund have been able to win the title twice and finish runners-up on three occasions. But this season, they already trail Bayern by 12 points. What could explain this disappointing start?
Inconsistency
Dortmund haven’t lost a lot, but seven draws says everything about their stuttering form. Whenever they produce a great result in the league, they almost immediately suffer a setback — usually against teams they should be able to defeat.
After coming off a dominating 4-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach on December 3, Dortmund proceeded to draw four of their next five matches. These four draws came against FC Koln (7th place), Hoffenheim (5th), Augsburg (10th) and Mainz (13th).
If Dortmund have any hope of turning their season around, they will have to be able to turn these draws into victories.
Balance
The Dortmund attack is centered around Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 27-year-old superstar recently returned after representing Gabon at the Africa Cup of Nations. Luckily for Dortmund, Gabon’s early exit made him available for matches like Saturday’s victory over RB Leipzig.
Borussia Dortmund can definitely find the back of the net, but they’re just as apt to do things like give away three goals to Ingolstadt or four to Legia Warsaw. The loss of Mats Hummels to Bayern Munich has clearly impacted the side.
The good news for Dortmund is that they are still in the Champions League places, and one point away from Eintracht Frankfurt in third. They will certainly look at their Champions League round of 16 match against Benfica as winnable.
But if they’re to challenge Bayern Munich again, they’ll need to find consistency and stability again.
