With the 2016/17 Bundesliga campaign just around the corner, Borussia Dortmund remain the favourites to challenge Bayern Munich for the title. Manager Thomas Tuchel led Dortmund to a second-placed finish in his first season at the club. BVB managed to secure a points haul that would have won the league in all but four previous seasons, but they came up short against an inspired Bayern Munich side.
The club, similar to past seasons, have lost a few key players. Mats Hummels, like Robert Lewandowski, has moved to rivals Bayern while Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ilkay Gundogan have both travelled to Manchester. Tuchel though has been active in the transfer market, bringing in several replacements in order to strengthen the core of the team.
Also read: How Liverpool could line-up for the first match of the 2016/17 season
But how will these new arrivals fit into Tuchel’s system? Who are the players that are expected to miss out? Take a look at Borussia Dortmund’s expected starting line-up below:
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Goalkeeper: Roman Burki
Burki has established himself as a regular in the Dortmund starting line-up after his arrival in 2015.
At 6’2”, the Swiss had a very solid season at Signal Iduna Park, bar the occasional howler. A solid keeper, Burki made 33 appearances for the Black and Yellows in the 2015/16 campaign, keeping 12 clean sheets and producing an impressive 73 saves in total. He has also made 4 appearances for the Swiss national team.
With Roman Weidenfeller and Hendrik Bonmann providing strong competition, Burki will have to perform at a consistently high level to maintain his spot on the roster.
Defence
Dortmund have not always been the most defensively sound team in the world, but they managed to get it right last season. After conceding 34 goals the entire season, an average of 1 goal per game, Tuchel seems to have settled on a back 4.
With the departure of star centre-half Mats Hummels to Bayern though, Tuchel has had to turn to the transfer window for answers to his defensive problems.
Left Back- Raphael Guerreiro
Along with Bartra, BVB have also obtained the services of UEFA Euro 2016 winning left back Raphael Guerreiro. The Portuguese will provide pace and dynamism to the squad, something Marcel Schmelzer was unable to do. The 22-year-old is also something of a set-piece expert. An extremely attacking left back, Raphael scored 7 goals and provided 5 assists in the 14/15 season. Along with Marco Reus on the left, the duo are expected to terrorise defences all acorss the league.
Centre-Back- Marc Bartra
Marc Bartra arrived from Barcelona for €8m and is expected to slot into the centre-back role replacing Hummels. Bartra had a reasonably successful time at the Catalan giants, making 25 appearances in all competitions last season.
Bartra, similar to Hummels has great passing and on-the-ball skills and brings with him a wealth of experience for someone so young. He has also played for Spain internationally and being from Barcelona, has several trophies to his name.
Center-Back- Sokratis
Sokratis will partner Bartra at centre-half. After a successful partnership with Hummels, Sokratis will look to build a similar relationship with the Spaniard. One of the better defenders in the Dortmund lineup, Sokratis will have to take on the role of defensive leader.
The Greek international made 35 appearances for Dortmund last season and was instrumental in their second-placed finish. With Bartra’s ease of playing the ball out of defence coupled with Sokratis’ no-nonsense approach to defending, the duo are set to complement each other well.
Right Back- Lukasz Piszczek
Piszczek will maintain his spot at right back. The Pole has been a key aspect of Dortmund’s rise in the last few seasons and is renowned for his bombing runs down the right-hand side. Aged 31, Piszczek still has a few good years ahead of him and his presence should provide the necessary experience for a young and youthful Borussia Dortmund side.
Midfield
Dortmund’s strongest suit has been their midfield for the past few seasons.The arrival of Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze is set to compensate the loss of Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Manchester United and Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City. Tuchel is not known for experimenting with his systems and is expected to retain his 4-2-3-1 system which means utilisation of 5 midfielders.
Central Midfield- Gonzalo Castro
Castro will take Gundogan’s spot in the line-up. The 29-year-old made 25 appearances last season but has not been a major part of BVB’s plans till date. He is expected to get a lot more playing time with Gundogan’s departure. With the ability to slot in at centre-back as well, the German is set to be a major part of Tuchel’s plans.
Central Midfield- Julian Weigl
Weigl is set to be Castro’s partner in the centre of midfield. The 20-year-old broke into the first team in the 15/16 campaign and has been an ever-present in the Dortmund lineup. His performances have also earned him a call-up to the German national team.
Weigl and Castro together form the heart of the midfield and will be responsible for breaking up the opposition attacks as well as spreading play to the wingers.
Attacking Midfield- Mario Gotze
That leaves one slot in the midfield which goes to new arrival Mario Gotze. The German who scored 22 goals and assisted 24 times in his previous term at Dortmund will replace Kagawa in the attacking midfield position. Gotze did not have a great time at Bayern and has moved back to Signal Iduna Park and could be the spark that ignites a Dortmund title challenge.
Attack
Left Wing - Marco Reus
With respect to the left flank, there can be only one name and that is Marco Reus. Dortmund’s most talented football player, Reus has had an injury-ravaged past but is set to put that behind him.
His speed, versatility and shooting ability is a major weapon in the Dortmund arsenal. Reus has scored 49 goals in 108 league games for Dortmund and is expected to add to that tally significantly this season.
Right Wing - Andre Schurrle
Andre Schurrle will take over the right flank after Mkhitaryan’s departure. Mkhitaryan scored 11 goals and 15 assists from out wide last season in the Bundesliga, but the German winger is expected to be able to produce similar numbers. Schurrle scored 10 goals in his last 6 months at Wolfsburg and is expected to carry that form to Dortmund.
Striker - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Aubameyang was Borussia Dortmund’s best player last season. With 25 goals, the Gabonese superstar was the Bundesliga’s second highest goal scorer behind Lewandowski. He was named Bundesliga Player of the Year for his efforts.
One of the fastest players on the planet, Aubameyang is responsible for leading his side's counter attacks along with Marco Reus. The African Footballer of the Year, Aubameyang has been linked with moves to Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City, but with his future confirmed to be at BVB, another fruitful season is expected.
