Borussia Dortmund Can Still Make the Argument They're the Best Team in Europe

Borussia Dortmund confirmed their spot in the next round of the Champions League on Tuesday night with a convincing 4-1 win over Group D opponents Galatasaray at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund. 

The fourth straight win for Jurgen Klopp's side now means that the former German champions have now amassed an impressive 100 percent record in the tournament this season and have all but booked their spot as first-place winners of the group. 

Although many are now used to the idea of the Black and Yellows running amok in the preliminary stages of the knockout competition, such decisive performances are made all the more notable when we consider just how poor Klopp's side have been in domestic competitions this season. 

Like a Jekyll and Hyde football club, Dortmund are times smart and sophisticated in Europe, leading the way in entertaining, modern football, but then seem to revert to this monster, devoid of reason or any sense of purpose, whenever they return home to their Bundesliga campaign. 

It was on Tuesday night, in front of their own fans, that we saw this team overcome their Turkish opposition for the second game in a row, racking up an aggregate score of 8-1 between the two ties, and showcasing once again why so many neutrals around the world actively seek them out whenever they're on the TV. 

For within the Champions League, Dortmund still look as though they can beat anyone on their day.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Despite losing Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze to their German rivals Bayern Munich since they reached that fateful final at Wembley against the Bavarian club, Klopp's team have looked anything but blunt up front. 

Yet the attacking line offers a perfect example of just how different Dortmund are in the Champions League to their stumbling equivalent back in the Bundesliga.

According to Whoscored.com, in just 47 minutes of European football this season, Adrian Ramos has already amassed an impressive three goals, giving him a record of almost one goal every 15 minutes of play. Yet in the Bundesliga, it's taken the Colombian forward more than 467 minutes to score just two. 

Similarly his colleague up front, Ciro Immobile, has truly taken to his first season in the Champions League group stages with no less than three goals in 180 minutes of European football. Yet that figure jumps up to two goals in 391 minutes in the Bundesliga. 

Where these two newly appointed strikers have struggled to find their way in the German top division this season, each has taken to the Champions League with relative ease just like the squad around them. 

The most notable theory to explain such a phenomenon has been the likelihood of Klopp's side simply being better suited to knockout football, against opponents who simply can't sit back and hope to take a point from them.

Dortmund have come undone in Germany against opponents such as Cologne, Hannover and Hamburg because each was happy to put 10 men behind the ball and ride their luck to unexpected victories. Yet in their European group, Dortmund have faced three opponents who have fancied their chances against Klopp's side. 

Originally conceived as a "group of death" or words to that effect, Group D has since proved itself as little more than cannon fodder to Klopp's side. Three imposing opponents now lie bruised and ultimately defeated in Dortmund's wake. 

Yet Arsenal and Galatasaray would have gone into their preliminary encounters with Dortmund high in confidence after a simple glance at their opponent's form sheet. Even Anderlecht—the lowly Belgian side who may end up finishing third in the group—decided to go down swinging in their home tie with attacking football. 

In each game Dortmund have been allowed to simply pick off their naive opponents in a manner that has simply eluded them in the Bundesliga. Simply because teams in Germany know exactly how to face a Klopp team. 

Nevertheless such facts or theories should continue to offer little relevance to Dortmund's remaining European campaign, as they come up against stronger and more attack-minded opponents in the stages to come. 

Klopp and his hot-or-cold side may continue to struggle at home this season, but they look perfectly set for a solid attack on Europe's greatest prize: the Champions League trophy. 

@Sbienkowski