On Friday evening, Borussia Dortmund overcame a stubborn St. Pauli side 2-1 to continue their 100% record at the Westfalenstadion this season.
In a first half that saw BvB fail to impress yet again, they would see VAR come to their rescue, denying Morgan Guilavogui a maiden Bundesliga goal before Pascal Groß’s cross enabled Ramy Bensebaini to create a moment of magic with an exquisite header to offer the hosts a halftime lead.
However, the visitors would deservedly find a route back into the game after the interval with a fantastic strike from Eric Smith, as a pivotal point appeared to be on the horizon for Alexander Blessin’s side.
Nevertheless, in the dying embers, Serhou Guirassy stepped up to the plate once again to salvage all three points for Die Schwarzgelben with a determined header into the far corner.
BvB were far from their best, but victory takes them into the top four for now, while defeat for St. Pauli could see them end the matchday rock bottom of the Bundesliga table.
Borussia Dortmund have not won the Bundesliga since the 2011/12 campaign, and this is a factor that has plagued the club ever since.
When Jürgen Klopp was appointed as the club’s head coach in 2008, Die Schwarzgelben were in the midst of recovering from financial issues that almost saw the club face the same fate that would later trouble their neighbours Schalke 04.
Klopp transformed Dortmund’s fortunes and, in the early 2010s, made Dortmund one of the most dominant sides in Germany and one of the most feared sides in Europe.
Playing a ‘heavy metal’ style of football, BvB captured back-to-back Bundesliga titles and came within ninety minutes of being crowned European champions for the second time in their history.
However, it soon all came crashing down, with their best players, such as Robert Lewandowski and Mario Götze, departing for none other than Bayern Munich, while Klopp departed the Westfalenstadion in a campaign that at one point looked as though BvB would find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle.
Nonetheless, since then, BvB have been attempting to recreate the football that saw them become one of the most loved clubs across Europe.
Head coaches have come and gone—in rapid succession—failing to live up to the stature and character of Klopp, as well as being unable to replicate the football that made them so successful on the pitch.
Recently, while Edin Terzić almost brought the Miesterschale back to the Westfalenstadion, as well as the Champions League, his type of football was never accepted by those at the club.
Hans-Joachim Watzke still reigns supreme at Dortmund, despite announcing he will depart the club when his contract runs out.
Nevertheless, he will be replaced by a Dortmund legend, Lars Ricken, who may have received the job on that basis rather than due to his credentials.
In the head coaching department, Terzić was a fan who wanted to bring the glory days back, while Nuri Şahin was part of Klopp’s all-conquering side.
Even just a matter of weeks ago, Dortmund brought Klopp back to the club to manage the side for one final game in a friendly fixture, where all the talk was surrounded about the eventuality of bringing him back to the club.
Players such as Marco Reus and Mats Hummels have now departed, but it seems as though Dortmund cannot let go of their past, and when they make one step forward to move on, they take two steps back.
They may have beaten St. Pauli, but it remains unlikely that they will finish above Bayern, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, and Eintracht Frankfurt based on performances so far this season.
The football on the pitch has not been convincing, and their identity is nonexistent.
Şahin could turn everything around and turn out to be one of the best young head coaches in Europe, but this is another unnecessary risk the club are willing to take.
Could Dortmund have shown more ambition in the summer? Almost definitely, but that would have meant venturing away from characters that led this club to one of their greatest triumphs, and that is a feeling that does not look like ending any time soon.
GGFN | Will Shopland
