Borussia Dortmund 2014/15 ai??i?? The Move To The Summit Continues

The 2014-15 Bundesliga season is almost here! Here is a look at how Borussia Dortmund could fare in the coming year.

Last season was as arduous and harsh as possible on Borussia Dortmund. The vicious injury cycle, Robert Lewandowskiai??i??s announcement of a move to rivals Bayern Munich, Bayernai??i??s unmatchable form in the league, an incredibly difficult Champions League group stage draw; everything was stacked against JA?rgen Klopp and his boys. They still managed a few runners up finishes domestically and managed to win every neutralai??i??s heart in Europe.

But things seem a lot brighter for the Black and Yellows ahead of the 2014/15 campaign. Reinforcements have come aplenty. The World Cup success comes as a massive confidence boost for those involved. Add to that the rapid return of Marco Reus, the DFL Supercup win, and Bayern Munichai??i??s sudden struggles, and things sure seem dandy at the Signal Iduna Park. While a treble winning season may still be a farfetched dream, the probability of adding some silverware to their trophy cabinet is higher than ever.

The Squad

Defence

Not much has changed in goal for Dortmund over the summer other than the fact that Roman Weidenfeller has returned with a World Cup winnerai??i??s medal. With Weidenfeller having arrived late for pre-season, Mitchell Langerak has been used in goal, and the Australian has looked solid thus far.

Matthias Ginter has been the only new arrival in defense this summer. The former Freiburg lad is most comfortable in the center of defense but can also be used in a defensive midfield role. He will surely start the season behind Sokratis, Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic in the pecking order but given the long season ahead of Dortmund, he should get a considerable amount of playing time. Kloppai??i??s first choice center backs arenai??i??t a certainty but given the quality that Sokratis has displayed ever since making the switch to Dortmund, he should be one of the regular choices in the heart of defense.

Lukas Piszczek remains the first choice right back and a top one at that. Marcel Schmelzer continues to have troubles with injury but Erik Durmai??i??s rise last season provides Klopp with a superb replacement. Whether Durm can make the left back position his own remains to be seen. Kevin GroAYkreutz will continue to be a utility player, both in defense and in midfield.

Midfield

Dortmund should start the season with their regular double pivot, but the personnel who shall be used remains an uncertainty. Sebastian Kehl enters his last season at the club and will play a secondary role to Sven Bender. Oliver Kirch is the other defensive option available to Klopp but it shouldnai??i??t come as a surprise if the hugely promising Ginter begins to put some pressure for this midfield position. The more attacking role in the double pivot will be fought for by Nuri Sahin, Milos Jojic and the returning Ilkay GA?ndogan. The German international missed all of last season due to injury and has only recently started training, casting doubts regarding his ability to replicate the brilliance of 2012-13.

When fully fit, Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are automatic choices on the right and in the center of the attacking midfield three respectively. The left flank would probably have been Jakub Blaczszykowskiai??i??s but an awful injury last season has hurt his chances. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was given a number of chances out wide but his comfort zone seems to be a more central role, which was clear in the DFL Supercup against Bayern. Jonas Hofmann is Kloppai??i??s final choice for the left flank, but the 22-year-old still seems to be lacking the maturity to perform regularly at this level.

Attack

Robert Lewandowskiai??i??s departure was expected to leave a ravenous void but Hans Joachim-Watzke has done everything possible in ensuring that the Poleai??i??s absence wasnai??i??t going to be felt. The 2013-14 Capocannoniere, Ciro Immobile, was brought from Torino for a hefty fee of about 20 million Euros. Hertha Berlinai??i??s top scorer, Adrian Ramos, arrived for just under 10 million Euros and Dong Won Ji was snapped up on a free transfer.

While none of these players may be able to replicate Lewandowskiai??i??s brilliance in attack, they certainly provide Klopp with a lot of talent to work with. Immobile looked hugely impressive in the Supercup outing and looks like the man who will take over the reins from Lewandowski.

Transfer Summary

Tactics

Klopp should continue to stick to his favoured 4-2-3-1 for the beginning of the season with a destroyer and a creator in the double pivot. Unlike in the past, the attacking midfield three might be a lot more skewed this season given Aubameyangai??i??s affinity for a central role and the opportunity to run at defenders. Mkhitaryan may look to sit a little deeper, almost making it a 4-3-3, which was seen occasionally last season.

The constant forward forays of the full back will continue to be a feature of Kloppai??i??s side with Hummels acting as the ball playing center back. Reus, who returned from injury a lot sooner than expected, will now take over as the pivotal figure in attack and should be looking to forge a partnership with Immobile.

There is also the possibility that Dortmund will lineup as an unconventional 4-4-2, with Reus and Mkhitaryan given free roles behind the strikers. Although this will not be greatly different from the 4-2-3-1, Dortmund will be a lot narrower in this case. For sides that look to sit deep and catch Dortmund on the counter, this may be a perfect answer for Klopp.

Player to look out for: Sokratis Papastathopoulos

You all know about Reusai??i?? scintillating dribbling, Hummelsai??i?? grace in defense and Piszczekai??i??s endless energy. But Sokratisai??i?? importance to this side has been greatly undervalued, his brilliance sometimes going unnoticed. After pocketing Lewandowski in the DFL Supercup, the Greek defender has drastically improved his chances of becoming a regular in central defense.

As solid as they come, Sokratis has grown into a rock in the heart of defense. Comfortable dribbling out of the back, a threat from set pieces and a potential leader, the 26-year-old has come a long way from his horrific days in Italy. If itai??i??s moments of grit, determination and sacrifice that Dortmund need, Sokratis is the man to look to.

Predictions

Bundesliga: Matching Bayern throughout an entire season is always going to be a tough ask but this Dortmund side is as good as they come. With more depth than last season and the possibility of another injury rampage very unlikely, neutrals should be in for one hell of a treat. Winning the league may still be out of the question but so is a 19 point gap at the top.

Prediction: 2nd place finish

Champions League: With two decent Champions League campaigns behind them, Dortmund have upped their European coefficient. The chances of being placed in yet another Group of Death have dropped now that they are placed in 12th and should allow for a smoother path to the knockout stages. Dortmundai??i??s battles against Europeai??i??s big boys have shown that they are no pushovers and could well be considered outside contenders for the trophy.

Prediction: Semi finals

DFB Pokal: Itai??i??s hard to see anyone but Bayern stopping a full strength Dortmund side this season. Yet the importance that sides place on the Pokal is questionable. Unless we see a second string Dortmund side fail to show up against a lower division side in the early stages of the tournament, a ticket to the final is guaranteed.

Prediction: Winners

Tags: Borussia Dortmund