Borussia Dortmund's Crisis Takes New Shape with Galatasaray Drubbing

Borussia Dortmund maintained their perfect record in Champions League Group D on Wednesday, beating Galatasaray 4-0 in Istanbul. The result followed 2-0 and 3-0 wins at home to Arsenal and away to Anderlecht, respectively, and left the 2013 finalists on the verge of qualifying for the knockout rounds for a third consecutive season.

Anyone who saw BVB for the first time this season on Wednesday would never have guessed that Jurgen Klopp’s side were hovering just above the relegation zone, in 14th place in the Bundesliga with just seven points from eight games.

Dortmund comprehensively dominated Galatasaray in Istanbul, taking a 3-0 lead into half-time. Their pace on the wings and in the center of attack undid their hosts’ defense for the first two goals, a stunning individual effort from Marco Reus resulted in the third.

But as encouraging as the result was, it also further underlined an increasingly obvious divide between BVB’s quality in domestic and European football. There must be questions asked of their motivation in the Bundesliga. It's for this reason that despite Wednesday's result, their crisis is far from over. To the contrary, little has changed.

Klopp’s men have taken just one point from their last five domestic league matches; it’s this embarrassing record that has led them into crisis. It was predictable that they would have difficulties, especially considering the massive injury problems they’ve been forced to endure. However, even in the midst of their horrible run, BVB never even blinked in the Champions League.

In Koln last weekend, the defense was a shambles. Roman Weidenfeller made a woeful and uncharacteristic mistake in goal to concede. And although Ciro Immobile managed to get on the scoresheet, the Dortmund attack was otherwise toothless.

Yet, in the midst of their crisis, Dortmund once again managed to hit top form in Europe. It’s beginning to appear that Klopp’s men have an “on” switch they can flick at will. And although it may be good that they indeed have a higher level they can reach, the way this switch has never been left on for more than 90 minutes this season is gravely disconcerting and suggests a lack of motivation.

Given that Bayern Munich continue to set record after record in the Bundesliga, it’s easy for any of their competitors to lose hope after one or two bad results. To win the league ahead of the record champions requires a near-perfect run of results over 34 games.

As frustrating as it may be, though, Dortmund can’t afford to continue as they have. Missing out on the Champions League next season is still unlikely, but it will happen if they don’t turn around their domestic form.

There are legitimate threats flying high in the league, some (like Hoffenheim) that don’t have the burden of European football and others (like Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach) that may not after December.

Beyond the obvious risk of not playing in the Champions League, Dortmund risk making the club even less desirable for top players than it already is. BVB can’t afford to pay their stars as well as clubs like Bayern and Real Madrid, but they can offer something unique in their fan support and ethos as a club.

Klopp’s passion has long been contagious; he’s embodied the club’s motto of “echte liebe” (true love). But if the players don’t believe in the club’s motto and believe there isn’t much to play for in the week-in, week-out matches, how could a player like Marco Reus be expected to commit to a long-term contract? How can their best and brightest be expected to remain loyal and see out their contracts?

It was “echte liebe” that resulted in Dortmund being picked apart more slowly than is typical of poorer clubs after successful seasons. That sentiment is fading.

For Dortmund, the Bundesliga is without a doubt already lost. A top two finish is still possible, if decreasingly likely. But if BVB are to contend for Bundesliga glory in the seasons to come, it’s imperative that they once again find their passion to perform on a regular basis.

As great as results like Wednesday’s may be, it’s not enough to show up once or twice a month. For Dortmund to turn around their crisis, they’ll need to play to win every game, not just a few.

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