What actually happened to Borussia Dortmund that they are suddenly the best-formed team in Europe and are level with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga? ntv.de provides a few answers to the most pressing questions these days.
First Nico Schlotterbeck ran to Jude Bellingham again. The 19-year-old stood with Emre Can in front of a Dortmund free kick next to the Hertha wall. Schlotterbeck pulled the two forward and then Marco Reus ran, Bellingham ducked, Can went to the side, the ball flew towards the wall, shot over it and dropped. The Englishman threw his arms apart and waited for the captain to run towards him, then folded his arms and lifted him into the air in front of the brutally loud South Stand. Borussia Dortmund 3 Hertha BSC 1. 14 minutes plus overtime to play. Borussia's first direct free kick of the season once again caused exuberant euphoria in Dortmund's Westfalenstadion on Sunday. "Only BVB will be German champions," echoed through the stadium and it sounded believable.
In the end, Julian Brandt, who had been playing in impressive form for weeks, still scored the 4:1. Only Karim Adeyemi's injury spoiled the joy a little. But at the moment everything seems possible.
Everything seems possible? Wasn't BVB in a permanent crisis just a month ago?
Correctly. BVB was in a constant state of alarm. Every defeat was proof that at the Ruhr area giants only the salaries were right, but no longer the benefits. The new coach Edin Terzic was denied professional skills, the new sports director Sebastian Kehl questioned for his summer transfers. The future of BVB did not look so rosy. Yes, even a year outside of the Champions League threatened and the next upheaval. A month later, after eight wins from eight games, things are of course very different.
OK. But what did Edin Terzić do during the winter break? Borussia's run isn't normal anymore!
For now. Wolfsburg also had such a run and look what happened afterwards. Three defeats, one draw, crash into midfield. A few things happened at Dortmund: Julian Ryerson came back from Union Berlin, numerous players came back from injuries, Youssoufa Moukoko's future was clarified, the squad grew together during the long break and then, of course, Sébastien Haller returned after his serious illness. First the shaky win against Augsburg, the lucky last-minute win in Mainz and then the confident performance in Leverkusen. Emre Can can suddenly give the team defensive stability, Gregor Kobel has gotten even better in goal and Jude Bellingham can lose the few balls he loses higher thanks to Can. In addition, the freed Julian Brandt in a central role. And the new squad depth. A lot has happened, everything adds up. Luck becomes trust and trust becomes faith and all is calm.
But now the peace is finally over. Marco Reus and Mats Hummels' contracts are expiring. So it's starting again?
This may be. However, it is important to differentiate here. While Hummels was relieved of a burden by missing the World Cup and he is slowly adapting to his role as BVB's Elder Statesman, Reus is far from resigned to it. But now he wants to "tighten up" and maybe bring the championship trophy to Borsigplatz again. The big unfulfilled, the world star outside of Germany, has not yet succeeded. "We all want titles. That's why we play football," said Reus after the game. And briefly commented that he would also have liked to have played against Chelsea in the Champions League. But when it works, it doesn't matter who plays. Then they dance on the wave and suddenly everything seems possible in the present, so that the future has to wait.
You at ntv.de also repeatedly spoke of Dortmund mentality dwarfs. Is the mentality debate over with that?
Of course not. This will be continued until the word mentality no longer has to be used. Not in a negative sense, but not in a positive sense either. Until the word mentality is firmly burned into Dortmund's DNA again. Until then, coach Edin Terzić will have to ask himself this very question after every defeat, after every point given away. She's fed up with him and the whole club. But eight wins in a row are just a stray swallow at the end of winter.
But you are in a bad mood. BVB hasn't had a series like this since coach-god Jürgen Klopp.
There you have the answer. Borussia from Dortmund is solid, but still far from impressing the world like it did back then. Every series ends once and it will be about pushing this end of the series further and further back. Game after game, until BVB has secured itself from the back. Three clubs top the table with 43 points, with Frankfurt in sixth just five points away. The season can still tip in a completely wrong direction for Borussia. The current sprint brings BVB to the balance sheet of the previous year. Back then, after 21 games, it was 14 wins, one draw and six defeats. It just all felt different. At that time they had just lost 2:5 against Bayer Leverkusen and allowed Bayern to pull away by nine points.
Nine points. Wasn't that Bayern's lead before the restart?
"The situation in the table is only provisional," said BVB defender Niklas Süle before the league restarted, earning more scorn and ridicule than recognition for this declaration of war. A month later, nobody is laughing at Süle, who was affectionately tagged as the IKEA Frysa fridge by Marius Wolf on Instagram after beating Hertha. Nothing could describe the warmth of the Dortmund winter better. With Wolf, BVB has a new Kevin Großkreutz in its own ranks. One that can be carried by often mocked refrigerators like Süle and the stadium.
Where can Wolf and BVB be taken now? Finally say championship!
That would of course be a dream for the supporters of Borussia Dortmund. But then you need 30 to 33 points from the next 13 Bundesliga games. It doesn't seem impossible. But BVB is well advised not to talk about championships, but simply to win them. They haven't been able to do that since 2012. Then it gradually went downhill. Not because they didn't manage to promote TSG Hoffenheim to the second division on the last day of the 2012/2013 season. But despite all this, this game remains a dark shadow on the BVB fan soul. With another win next weekend, they could push the Kraichgauer even deeper into the crisis and intoxicate themselves further.
And if BVB is then champion, then surely Jude Bellingham will remain?
Based on the current status, this is not particularly likely.
Ah, too bad.
Yes. It's a shame for the league and a shame for BVB.
But it's also good that BVB is back.
Exactly. That's something too. And whether Bellingham will remain, what will become of Reus, when and whether Julian Brandt, currently the best German player, will be extended, everything remains to be seen. Football is at its most beautiful when it happens in the moment and lets people dream. Not everything has to be talked about right away.
So buy tickets for the last Bundesliga game towards the end of May now?
You have to decide.
