Borussia Dortmund have been working hard to recover a calamitous last season, with BVB enjoying a strong pre-season for form, as well as winning their first competitive fixture (1-0 against Wolfsberger in the Europe League). New manager Thomas Tuchel has been ticking all the boxes as far as supporters are concerned, and the confidence has been clear to see among the side.
Dortmund are looking for Europa League success to make up for their lack of Champions League participation this season, and victory away to Austrian outfit Wolfsberger in the first leg is a good start. They have a near-fully fit side this campaign too, which is in complete contrast to how things went under former manager Jurgen Klopp in 2014/15.
Finishing 7th in the league table last season, a top-four spot in the Bundesliga is the minimum expectation for Tuchel, and with the new boss having retained key players such as Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this summer, Dortmund could be in for a successful campaign.
BVB were bottom of the league early in the last campaign, but given how impressive they have been in pre-season so far, there’s little chance the Germans will be languishing in the bottom-half. Tuchel has brought the intensity of Dortmund’s play back, and the individual brilliance of Marco Reus has returned at a perfect time.
So many players have reaffirmed their desire to stay at the Westfalenstadion, which speaks volumes about their faith in the manager, as well as the loyalty having been instilled in recent years. Many expected a summer exodus after their poor season, but the players made up their own mind to stay with the German club.
The coming season can see Borussia Dortmund once again regarded as genuine title-challengers for Bayern Munich to contend with, but they’ll need to hit the ground running to achieve it. The start of a new domestic campaign can often see form being inconsistent until the side starts to settle, but if BVB are serious about their aspirations this season, they need a blistering start out of the blocks.
Dortmund were the last side to end Bayern Munich’s stronghold in the Bundesliga crown, but it proved to be temporary, as the German giants have since won three on the bounce. Pre-season preparations have been strong with Tuchel’s side, however, and winning appears to have become a habit, so can Borussia Dortmund turn their fortunes around in the league?
