Not without the help of Bayern.

Increase in intrigue

Borussia Dortmund’s brilliant second half of the season secured them a solid place in the title race. In addition, after Bayern’s misfire today, which they lost to Leipzig, Dortmund have every chance to get around Munich tomorrow. And that’s for the lap to the end of the race. The gap is only one point.

However, before the World Cup, Borussia did not look like a contender for the title. Coach Edin Terzic has struggled to stabilize his side’s defensive play, with key players far from fit. The winter break gave the helmsman and his crew time to regroup and rectify the situation. The second half of the season started with a clean slate for Borussia.

Soon after the restart, Borussia won ten straight matches before losing to Chelsea in the Champions League. Then there was a slight decline, which included the loss of Bayern and relegation from Leipzig in the German Cup. It seemed that Dortmund’s surge was accidental. However, they returned to form and even temporarily took the lead in the Bundesliga.

German mass media name several factors of such transformation of the Terzic team. Let’s study them.

Tough team competition

In the first half of the season, the already established players were not afraid of losing their place in the starting XI. It was like they were guaranteed. During the break, Can, Adeyemi, Malen and others worked hard to get back in shape and adopt Terzic’s tactical approach, establishing themselves as starters.

Can tried a lot, who wanted to prove that he was always the same player for whom Borussia once paid Juventus 25 million euros. Emre had to speak openly with Terzic about his game and form over the winter. The midfielder took the place of the “sixth” number in the squad, which gave Bellingham more offensive freedom.

Adeyemi has been quite a revelation in recent months. Dortmund bought the fast winger from Salzburg last summer for €30m. At first it was difficult for Karim to justify the investment. But the club’s management were ready for the 21-year-old winger to take time to adjust. And he went faster than expected.

He is now one of the strongest players in the league. His speed, ability to assist and dribbling always create tension in the opposition defence. Terzic also adjusted the scheme so as to more often create situations in which Adeyemi was face to face with defenders. And this is an almost fatal position for defenders.

But those who had difficulties in the first part of the season ended up on the bench. The most striking example is Royce, who has once again had to deal with injuries and signs of loss of form. The 33-year-old has extended his contract with Borussia Dortmund for a year, but is clearly not playing the same significant role he did at the start of the season.

Return of Aller

During last summer’s pre-season, Terzić intended to build his attack around recently signed striker Aller who was expected to replace Haaland. The idea was to speed up the attacks. A key role has been attributed to the figure of Aller. But in July he was diagnosed with cancer.

Meanwhile, the Ivorian has successfully completed chemotherapy and returned to the training ground in January. He showed enthusiasm, even if it took some time to recover. As expected, Aller began to structure Borussia’s attacks, shape them and make them meaningful, punctual. There was no uncertainty in the Dortmund attack when combinations were played. And he added confidence to the team.

Rigidity in relationships

After a disappointing first half of the season, Terzić, along with sporting director Sebastian Kehl and managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke did not go easy on the players. There were several meetings where the coach and club leaders analyzed the matches with the players, ruthlessly pointing out to the performers their mistakes that should be eliminated.

These meetings are said to have lasted well into the night and greatly impressed the team. Terzic himself is not too cruel. He lets assistants do the drills, asks players to give motivational speeches, and rarely blows players up after losses. Watzke took on the role of a tough commander. He often showed up in the locker room after setbacks and spoke harshly to the team.

Furthermore, Watzke’s appearance did not disappear in the second half of the season as Borussia significantly improved in form. And this raised bar had to be met. He burst into the dressing room after draws against Stuttgart and Bochum in April. The last match cost Borussia the lead. Watzke criticized the team for lacking a leader who could lead the team. And this despite the fair public criticism directed at the referees of that match. Don’t forget the quality of the game.

However, the lack of leadership has been discussed since the summer. Although Royce wears the captain’s armband, he rarely displays his leadership qualities. His second in command, Hummels, has been battling injuries nearly all season. Even if he’s been getting better lately. Even Terzic himself cannot yet charismatically lead the team forward, being on the edge. He’s still developing his own style of work and Watzke is actively involved in that.

Borussia Dortmund not at the limit

Terzic has the potential to improve tactically and motivationally at work. He knows his team best. But Borussia always risk losing the leaders even before a well-chosen team delivers the result. So Dortmund will definitely lose Bellingham this summer, which Real Madrid wants to get. However, Borussia managed to extend contracts with some major artists.

Brandt himself, who became the creative inspirer of the team in attack, extended the agreement until 2026. Julian did a good job not only on his form, but also on his lifestyle, improving the quality of nutrition, of sleep, in general, adjusted the regime. And that, too, bore fruit from him. With Borussia’s makeover, Brandt looked better than ever. He can keep this wave going for next season.

Emerging players such as Adeyemi and Schlotterbeck will begin to form the backbone of the squad, while experienced fighters have already established themselves in their role and will need to mentor the youngsters on the pitch. Aller will also be able to fully prepare for the season and gain strength.

And Kehl and Watzke will be working to replenish the team right now. Also, the main focus will be Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez and Cologne’s Eles Shkiri. Borussia Mönchengladbach left-back Rami Bensebaini, whose contract expires in the summer, is also expected to join Dortmund.

It will be extremely disappointing if Dortmund does not suddenly become champions under all favorable circumstances, including, of course, problems with Bayern, who made the worst managerial mistake in many recent years by replacing Nagelsmann with Tuchel. Borussia Dortmund are now closer than ever to the title after a ten-year drought and several seasons in which Dortmund could not even challenge Bayern. But the club’s play and working style have inspired so much optimism in recent months that next season will certainly not be easy for Bayern. And it is Borussia that will give you difficulties.