ANALYSIS | What we learned from Borussia Dortmund’s concerning 5-1 defeat against Stuttgart
Borussia Dortmund have once again been sent home limping from a thorough defeat to VfB Stuttgart. In an eerily similar and arguably worse fashion than the previous instalments of a bruising at the hands of a Sebastian Hoeneß tactical clinic, Dortmund was swept away in all phases of play from the opening whistle.
“Suffering is not disgraceful; to yield to it is.” – Seneca
It was obvious that the pace and intensity of play would be determined by the same Stuttgart side that showcased a warrior mentality under the floodlights of Madrid earlier in the week. The confrontation was unavoidable for Nuri Şahin’s men, as would be the periods of suffering that would necessitate an attitude that was prepared to weather the storm. It would be the mark of a strong mentality, as Seneca said, for Dortmund to stand its ground and change the growing narrative that has surrounded this specific fixture lately.
Instead, they laid down once more en-route to a 5-1 thrashing that looked every bit as bad as the scoreline suggests. “You could have put Pep Guardiola on the sidelines today. If you play with so little passion, it’s only us players who are to blame.” Julian Brandt’s comments, via Sky Germany’s Patrick Berger, strike me as particularly indicative of the root cause that unfortunately permeates from some of Dortmund’s assumed leadership.
It’s baffling that a group of players, many of whom featured in the humiliating matches vs Stuttgart last season, could find themselves taking the pitch with such little drive and posture that signals anything other than retribution. This was a humbling reminder of the work that is to be done on the part of Şahin and his staff. The common consensus was that Dortmund actually had a fairly successful summer transfer window. Acquiring the signatures of veteran pieces like Pascal Groß, Waldemar Anton, Serhou Guirassy, and thereby pursuing a quick cultural shift in the locker room.
That change, however, doesn’t eliminate those pre-existing individuals who have played crucial roles in the inferior mentality that summarised Dortmund’s fifth place campaign last year. A player like Brandt is expected to lead the attack in a tactical sense, but also the embody it with his body language. This display was far, far from it.
Analysing Borussia Dortmund’s 5-1 loss at Stuttgart
Şahin reverted to the 3-2 build-up in possession that he opted for at the start of the season. It featured Nico Schlotterbeck as a wide centre-back on the left flank with Anton, Niklas Süle, and Julian Ryerson comprising the rest of the back line. Felix Nmecha was given another chance to start following solid displays alongside the evergreen Groß to form that double-pivot.
Brandt was tasked with ball progression between the lines with Karim Adeyemi, Guirassy, and Marcel Sabitzer rounding out the forward positions. This return to a back three was one that was likely inspired in light of Dortmund’s struggles to defend transitional play in a standard back four. Club Brugge exposed this quite clearly and Stuttgart’s efficiency in these areas is often what is immediately associated with their success under Hoeneß.
His side, as expected, aimed to close down the initial phases of circulation from Gregor Kobel’s distributions. They did this with customary intent and aggression until the game’s conclusion. Frequently forcing ill-advised passes and applying immediate physical pressure upon virtually any ball reception from Dortmund’s forward line. In particular, Brandt and Adeyemi, appeared to be muscled off the ball time and time again. Making it even more difficult to progress past the Stuttgart high-block from anything other than the occasional counter-attack. Perhaps even more foreboding were Dortmund’s own deficiencies in defence. Stuttgart sliced through a lethargic and passive high-block with Brandt, Guirassy, Adeyemi, and Sabitzer offering virtually no resistance. It often seemed pointless to be positioned as high as they were if there was no actual intent to dictate play in those spaces.
The opening goal came from a bit of an awkward sequence in which Ryerson was simultaneously returning to the defensive line while Süle was dropping deeper. The latter misjudged the through ball, stumbled, and allowed Deniz Undav to find himself through on goal for a low finish to the far corner. It hardly felt like anything less than what was inevitable.
Ermedin Demirovic’s purely directed header found its way past a helpless Kobel in the 21st minute following a very standard cross in a settled Dortmund low-block. The unopposed cross from Maximilian Mittelstädt split Süle and Schlotterbeck to easily find the Bosnian. At this point, it felt like a mountain to climb, but it was only going to become worse.
An unfortunate injury to Nmecha led to Jamie Gittens, hero of Dortmund’s midweek UEFA Champions League clash in Brugge, being subbed on with Sabitzer retreating to midfield. In fairness, there were some signs, some semblance of life in Şahin’s team as the half progressed. Gittens contributed some excellent dribbles into Stuttgart’s half and provide more of a threat for a counter-attack, but nothing materialised.
Half-time saw a few more changes from Şahin as Yan Couto and Ramy Bensebaini replaced both Adeyemi and Ryerson. Stuttgart found even more success down the left flank than the right. The reshuffling of Sabitzer to central midfield and Adeyemi to right wing didn’t positively impact the defence in any capacity. This is what theoretically inspired Şahin to field two wing-back’s along with his three central defenders.
However, the flow of play remained stale in Dortmund’s attack as the second-half unfolded and the same lack of urgency in defence accompanied it. Mittelstädt had a shocking amount of time and space to deliver another deadly cross from a short corner. It set the stage for Enzo Millot to convert following a redirected header across goal to make it 3-0. At this point, Dortmund had very much dug its own grave, been outclassed in each phase of play, and the posture reflected it across the board.
Guirassy’s goal on the back of a Gittens-led counter-attack came from seemingly nothing and did little to change the momentum of the match even in the latter stages. Millot dazzled with an impressive solo effort to dance past both Bensebaini and Schlotterbeck from a standard throw-in. Gliding along the goal line before delivering an excellent cut back assist to El Bilal Touré. 4-1 felt about right and maybe even an injustice to Stuttgart based on the whole body of work.
The exclamation point came from Undav just before stoppage time as Dortmund’s captain, Emre Can, had entered the game just a few minutes earlier and characteristically gave away possession in the heart of central midfield. Millot found the German international on the left flank as he replicated his goal that opened the match with another cushioned finish to the far corner.
A merciful final whistle blew and any air that was in the tank when Dortmund arrived had been utterly deflated. Şahin wasn’t there to empathise with anyone in the aftermath of his side’s early season reality check. “The way we performed today had nothing to do with physical fatigue. You can’t perform like that! You can find a million excuses, but none of them apply. “
What is most concerning for Şahin is the manner in which his squad was beaten to every loose ball, bullied off of it, and simply demonstrated a familiar face of inferiority on the part of those who have lived through this story multiple times. It would be understandable, maybe to an extent, if Anton appeared rattled as he returned to a cascade of unrelenting criticism and booing in front of his former home. It’s something very different for Brandt, Süle, Sabitzer, or Can to go missing when their composure was needed most.
Die Schwarzgelben now look to rebuild. Names like Julian Duranville and Maximillian Beier may soon find themselves given a chance based on the inability of their competitors to consistently impress. Regardless of who plays where, Şahin has to figure out a solution to dealing with opposition that aim to force his team into a high-speed chase for 90 minutes.
He will now work within the constraints that exist, with a conundrum developing around the usage of figures like Can, Sabitzer, and Schlotterbeck in relation to their positional roles. This Bundesliga match schedule stops for nobody, however, and a Friday date with Bochum awaits back home. Anything less than an emboldened and ruthless approach will only nourish growing pressure for Şahin to mould this group into a machine that can reach the levels of consistency needed to challenge domestic rivals.
