Borussia Dortmund will be highly concerned with the performance of their defence so far. The Bundesliga giants have so far conceded 11 goals from their first 5 league matches.
This is alarming for a side that has the ambition to compete for the trophies. Dortmund are highly reliant on their attack to perform on a day to earn them points.
Borussia Dortmund has already made few transfers this season to address the back but has not given enough thought to it. The only time the club was able to keep a clean sheet this season was at their DFB Pokal opener against third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden.
DEFENCE THE ACHILLES HEEL FOR DORTMUND
The club signed the likes of goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and young centre-back Soumaila Coulibaly and also brought in Marin Pongracic on loan. These moves were targeted to strengthen but have not yet made an impact.
Kobel has been excellent for the Yellow and Blacks and has already made multiple crucial saves for the team. On the other hand, Coulibaly is just 17 and is a more long term prospect. Pongracic is a decent option but needs more minutes under his belt.
The major defensive options for the club are Manuel Akanji, Mats Hummels and Dan-Axel Zagadou. Hummels is returning back from an injury and is not getting young. Zagadou on the other hand has been missing out for a long time due to a knee injury.
This leaves only Akanji as the main defender. It is vital for Dortmund to get all their defenders fit and find that pair who can play on a regular basis. The club hierarchy should also be looking to find a replacement for Hummels as well as fix the fitness issue with Zagadou.
For the time being, manager Marco Rose should work more on the defensive structure of the team and not just rely on the attack to bail them out every time. Dortmund will be hopeful with the return of Hummels, however, if they are serious about a title challenge, fixing the defence is a main priority.
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