Berlin (Germany), Feb 14 (IANS) Ahead of their last-16 duel against Premier League side Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund are enjoying a sportive high-flight.
Six victories in a series not only give proof of the team having gained stability but seems to open doors for greater success this season, reports Xinhua.
Not only do the clubs’ fans hope to proceed to the next round in the Champions League, but it might also deliver a motivation boost for the national campaign. The dream of the first league title since 2012 becomes clearer and clearer.
As a fact, crossing swords with the Blues this Wednesday comes as a duel on eye level. And more: Many see the Black and Yellows as the slight favourites against a struggling London side.
Well-balanced squad
Ten goals scored by substitutes are telling parts of the story of a well-equipped squad while the team is benefitting from the upswing of cornerstones such as Julian Brandt, Jude Bellingham, and Marco Reus.
A few months ago, the injury loss of upstart Youssoufa Moukoko might have caused significant concerns; now, the BVB is pulling recovered Sebastien Haller out of the hat.
While the German international has been suffering from a ligament injury since last weekend, it’s the French spearhead who has fully recovered from a cancer illness.
New fighting qualities
Coach Edin Terzic’s team has added hard-earned victories coming along with a newly developed robustness to its portfolio.
Goal scoring is put on many shoulders to increase the teams’ unpredictability. Efficiency has become a familiar phrase.
Team leader Bellingham is benefitting from the support provided by Brandt and Reus.
The back-row wall
German internationals such as Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck developed into the club’s “new wall”; not to speak of keeper Gregor Kobel. The Swiss international is seen as one of the league’s best.
The performance increase of both central defenders has forced 2014 World Cup champion Mats Hummels into his new role as a back-bencher. The aged former cornerstone is accepting his downgrading and instead is fulfilling a caretaker role. In Bremen (2-0), he guided the injured Moukoko to the locker room.
Haller as a mood booster
Last summer, the bad news of the French strikers’ illness caught the club when attending a pre-season training camp. A shockwave made the entire club shiver.
Having recovered lionheartedly within a few months, Haller triggered a spark among his teammates. The coach and players talked of the striker’s contagious optimism affecting the entire squad.
“It’s striking that the entire team is benefitting from Sebastien’s great personality,” sporting director Sebastian Kehl stated.
Bench forces
Second-row performers such as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Mo Dahoud, Giovanni Reyna, and Salih Ozcan make the team forget about performance losses when being substituted.
Former Citizens talent Bynoe-Gittens last weekend scored his third league goal when appearing on the pitch. The 18-year-old has become Terzic’s secret weapon when it comes to triggering a second wave of speed in the second half.
–IANS
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