The Tactical Change That May Help Borussia Dortmund Salvage a Place in Europe

The Tactical Change That May Help Borussia Dortmund Salvage a Place in Europe

Chandler Milligan

Borussia Dortmund are having a season to forget in the Bundesliga.

If you looked at their Champions League campaign last year, you would have thought they were on the verge of greatness.

But for those who are keeping an eye on the league table in Germany, the signs of decay have been building for years.

After securing back-to-back Bundesliga titles under Jürgen Klopp in 2011 and 2012, a German Cup in 2012, and a UCL Final 2013, the German fan-favourites have failed to replicate their two-year dynasty in the decade since.

A steady fall from grace has seen the side cower in the shadow of their greatest rivals, Bayern Munich.

In fact, it’s hardly fair to call them rivals when the Der Klassiker has been so one-sided across the last twelve years.

Eleven straight Bundesliga titles followed for Bayern Munich, and seven times, BVB finished as runners-up.

Nothing hurt so bitterly as losing the title on the final day (and minute) of the 2022/23 campaign.

After trading first place back and forth with Bayern across the course of a tumultuous league campaign, Dortmund had the title in their hands.

Hosting mid-table Mainz 05 at the Signal Iduna Park, all Edin Terzić’s men needed was a win.

They found themselves 2-0 down in 25 minutes, having also missed a penalty to equalise.

And, while they rallied after the break and equalised in the 96th minute to snatch a 2-2 draw, down south in Cologne, Jamal Musiala had scored an 89th-minute winner against FC Köln saw Bayern Munich snatch the title on goal difference.

Seventy-one points apiece, but Bayern reigned superior again, and the Yellow & Black faithful were left to wonder if their time would ever come again.

Last year, the Bavarian side finally saw their streak ended at last.

But instead of Borussia Dortmund drawing the Excalibur sword from the stone to vanquish their enemy, it was Bayer Levekusen who rose out of nowhere to seize the crown.

A year later, both sides are locked in another title race (with Bayern Munich currently in control), and Borussia Dortmund are enduring their worst campaign since the 2007/08 season that saw them finish 13th.

When they left for the international break in March, BVB had suffered back-to-back league defeats against Augsburg and Leipzig.

They had more defeats than victories and sat in 11th place with only 35 points.

Returning from the break to host third-place Mainz 05, Dortmund showed a glimpse of their best side as they dispatched the six-game-unbeated side to move into tenth place.

A 3-1 victory at Signal Iduna Park and some of their best football of the season, with Max Beier scoring on either side of Emre Can to comfortably secure three vital points.

With their UCL qualification hopes on the edge of extinction, every game counts as the Yellow & Black look to snatch one of the six European places available.

Seven games now remain for Niko Kovac’s men, including blockbuster clashes against Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, and seven points now keep them from the UCL spots, while four points separate them from the top six.

It’s not impossible, but given that five of those seven opponents are above them in the league, they certainly have their backs against a wall.

Still, Niko Kovac has given the yellow faithful hope with his excellent tactical approach against Mainz, and while these changes were perhaps made with the absence of Guierassy, they were executed near-perfectly on the weekend.

While Dormund have typically relied on the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Julian Brant playing behind Serhou Guierassy while Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi occupy either flank, they switched to a 3-4-1-2 against Mainz with great success.

This time, Beier and Adeyemi started upfront in a two-man partnership and worked off each other brilliantly.

The duo combined neatly for the opening goal, playing an improvised one-two from close range to carve open the Mainz defence.

Nico Schlotterbeck put in an outstanding performance, assisting twice from a corner routine while dominating as a ball-playing centre-back and playing dangerous long-balls down the centre.

Having taken over the reigns at Dortmund late in January after sacking Nuri Sahin, Kovac was under pressure, having won only six points in his first six Bundesliga games.

After starting his tenure with his tried-and-trusted 4-2-3-1 formation, his fresh approach after the international break has clearly worked wonders on its debut.

Dortmund managed 18 shots across the game, with a 2.78 xG and four big chances created. They adopted a high-pressure system that worked effectively, and their back three were all heavily involved in the build-up while preventing Mainz from creating any big chances.

The consolation goal Mainz scored showed that Dortmund’s defence is still fragile, but overall, they looked far more imposing in the 3-4-1-2 shape.

If they have the courage to step away from old habits and build on this performance and tactical approach, then there is still hope that Dortmund can salvage something from this season and book their ticket to European competition in 2026.

They could, of course, finish what they started last year and just win the whole UEFA Champions League campaign, but their UCL run looked like a miracle then and will be much harder this time.

They travel away to UCL-favourite FC Barcelona next week in the first leg of their quarter-final clash, and not many would back them to cause an upset this time.

A close 3-2 defeat in the league table stage against the Blaugrana points to possibility, but mainly improbability, considering their scintillating form.

If they were to defy Hansi Flick’s men, they would meet Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan or their psychological kryptonite in Bayern Munich.

Say they endure. Arsenal, Real Madrid, PSG, or Aston Villa await on the other side of the bracket.

So don’t get your hopes up.

For Borussia Dortmund, the focus should be on gaining traction in the Bundesliga and closing that seven-point gap on the top four.