Are Borussia Dortmund running out of steam – or confidence?

For many, one of the great stories of European football in 2018-19 has been the revival of Borussia Dortmund. But have Lucien Favre’s side now run out of steam?

Between 2010 and 2012, BVB’s young side rapidly rose to domestic and European success under Jürgen Klopp. Built under the watchful eyes of Michael Zorc, Sven Mislintat and Hans-Joachim Watzke, Dortmund’s squad was bustling with legends-in-the-making.

However, the last few years have not been as rosy. Dead in the water for Thomas Tuchel’s last season in charge, and failing to improve during the tenures of Peter Bosz and Stoger, BVB started to feel like a relic of the early 2010s.

So, with a promising start to life under Favre this term, it felt like a return to the Borussia Dortmund that so many neutrals fell in love with.

2019 a developing nightmare for BVB

Top of the table at the winter break, and with winnable ties against Werder Bremen in the DFB Pokal and Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League, things looked good. However, a horror period of time, starting with a flu outbreak that spread through the squad, has meant 2019 has been a developing nightmare.

Starting with a 1-0 win against RB Leipzig, Dortmund looked set to continue their imperious form. From the moment they drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt, though, the negative results have kept on coming. A week that has seen an injury to Marco Reus, a 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen in the cup (exiting on penalties) and a 3-0 loss in London to Spurs put the breaks on their season entirely.

Since then, Dortmund have won just once – a 3-2 thriller against Bayer Leverkusen. Poor results have followed against FC Augsburg (1-2) and Nurnberg (0-0), leaving the young team bereft of confidence.

Add in the fact that FC Bayern Munchen have won nine of their last ten, including a 5-1 demolishing of third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, and it’s fair to say the tails are up in Bavaria.

What comes next for Dortmund?

Tiredness and a lack of key form to everyone bar Axel Witsel and Julian Weigl in 2019 mean that a title collapse feels inevitable. Dortmund have stopped creating chances (aside from their impressive first half in the second-leg defeat to Tottenham) and have started to concede regularly.

In fact, they have just one clean sheet since the start of February – and that was turgid draw at Nurnberg, against a side who are sure to go down. Dortmund look lost for ideas, with likes of Mario Götze doing his best up front but often playing a thankless and poorly supported role.

The amazing form of Paco Alcacer in the early 2018-19 season was never going to last – but one goal in his last ten is a shocking return. With no alternative, a creaking backline and a midfield that is much more shallow than many previously presumed, it’s hard to see Dortmund ending the season with silverware.

Second place not good enough

And that’s a shame. The club needed a massive summer rebuild in the 2018-19 season, and got about half of the needed work done. Given what was required, that felt like enough. Their rise to the top of the table, and impressive games in Europe, led fans to believe that something truly special might take place. It’s still likely to end with a strong second-place finish – but for Dortmund fans, that might still feel like a let-down.

Over-performance gave way to expectation. Now, with those expectations heightened, Dortmund have failed to last the pace. While there’s still many twists and turns to come, their evaporating form and a daunting fixture list leave this looking like a season of lost progress.

Will Dortmund fans, players and coaches really feel like 2018-19 was an improvement? It was compared to the previous season. Given what looked possible, though, it’s only natural to feel let down. A young side has run out of energy: we just hope they aren’t ‘rewarded for failure’ by being stripped of their finest talents.

Featured image: “BVB Champion 2010 / 2011” (CC BY 2.0) by Peter Fuchs