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Borussia Dortmund 1, Wolfsburg 0

Reus 68

Despite their unbeaten start to the new season few could have been surprised to see so many changes to the starting line-up that took to the field against Wolfsburg on Saturday. Performances have been flat amid persisting claims that the players have yet to reconcile themselves with failing to win the Bundesliga title on the last game of the last season.

So far, in the league at least, results have more or less held up. But when you compare the way Dortmund have played so far to title rivals like Leverkusen, Leipzig and of course Bayern, you can see that sooner or later the team will start to get the results its performances deserve.

If further demonstration of this truth was required, look no further than the miserable display against PSG in the Champions League opener, last week.

The French giants are objectively the better team but as we discussed in last week’s edition, were beaten 3-2 by Nice and have vulnerabilities at the back. Edin Terzić’s approach was to play with a relatively low block and try to catch their opponents in transition. It didn’t work. I suspect the tactics were wrong, but it was difficult to ignore the feeling that there was no belief in the team.

Something needed to change and so Terzić made six alterations from the team that started in Paris. One was enforced, Marcel Sabitzer, but the rest were tactical, including the captain, Emre Can.

The Dortmund captain is a player I admire for his industry and passion, but he tends to buy unnecessary yellow cards and lose his head. Instead of Can and Sabitzer, Terzić opted for Felix Nmecha and Salih Ozcan as a deep-lying pair of sixes. Behind them was a back three of Hummels, Schlotterbeck and Remy Bensebaini with Julian Ryerson and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens acting as wingbacks. Niklas Sule and Marius Wolf were sacrificed for this new defensive shape.

Up front, Marco Reus earning his first start sat alongside Julian Brandt supporting Niclas Füllkrug who replaced Sebastian Haller in the lone striker’s position. Donyell Malen was the other player dropped from the attack.

The performance, while hardly exciting was effective enough against a tough but pedestrian Wolfsburg side. The goal came on 68 minutes: Marco Reus deft touch turned in Brandt’s cross. The system held up well, restricting the opposition to one shot on target. It’s not what many Dortmund fans have come to expect from their team but when things are going wrong, it’s important to focus on the basics. Stop conceding goals first and build your win on the foundations of solid defence. Borussia kept a clean sheet, scored in the second half, and closed out the game. For that and for having the courage to make the changes, Terzić should be congratulated and hopefully will sleep a little better.

Elsewhere in the Bundesliga

Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich blew Bochum away with seven unanswered goals. Killer Kane scored his first Bundesliga hat trick and provided two assists. The Bavarians stay top of the table level on points with Bayer Leverkusen who needed some time to break down Heidenheim, 4-1. VfB Stuttgart won again and Serhou Guirassy scored again in their 3-1 victory over Darmstadt. They are sat third in the table above Leipzig who beat Monchengladbach, 1-0. Werder bounced back after their defeat to Heidenheim with a decent 2-1 win against Koln. Eintracht Frankfurt remain unbeaten but are becoming draw specialists; their 0-0 draw with Freiburg was their fourth of the season. Union Berlin were gallant losers to Real Madrid in the Champions League last week but are stuttering in the league. The Berliners lost 2-0 to a resurgent Hoffenheim. Speaking of which.

Up next: TSG Hoffenheim

Only an opening-day defeat to Freiburg has blotted the Hoffenheim copybook. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team are fifth in the table which is a welcome respite for the relegation worries of recent years. To be fair they’ve had a comfortable set of fixtures. Wolfsburg and Union are tough to beat but Heidenheim and Koln, while difficult opponents, are no measure of quality. In Dortmund, they face their first “top four” challenge, albeit a less fearsome one than Leverkusen, Leipzig, or Bayern. Whether Hoffenheim are serious contenders or adding a bit of early season colour depends on how they manage Dortmund. Their XGA (Expected Goals Allowed) suggests that they’ve been a little fortunate. It currently stands at 8.9 which is the sixth worst in the league. It's massively early days in the season of course but it does suggest that there is grounds for optimism for Dortmund. The question is whether Edin Terzić will keep the current shape and keep things tight at the back or show a bit more attacking ambition. Personally, and at the risk of sounding dull, I hope he sticks and tests the defence for leaks ahead of what will be a tough Champions League encounter against Milan next week.

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