Borussia Dortmund Set to Storm Up the Bundesliga Table

Borussia Dortmund fans will have endured a restless night’s sleep on November 8th having spent it rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga.

However, buoyed by a priceless 1-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach, it's time for Jurgen Klopp’s side to charge up the table and return to their favourite competition—the Champions League.

Last season's Bundesliga runners-up grabbed only their third league win of the season against Gladbach, moving up to the dizzy heights of 15th—just nine points away from fourth and that prized Champions League qualification spot.

Sunday’s precious victory, which broke a run of five straight league defeats, will be the launching pad for Dortmund’s domestic drive up the table.

It’s not hard to see where most of the club’s problems lie.

The conversion of chances is absolutely dire—a mere dozen goals from 72 chances according to Kicker—16.7 per cent. Only hapless Hamburg are worse off with a meagre four goals from 41 chances.

Marco Reus and company amassed 22 shots on goal against the other Borussia but still didn’t manage to break the deadlock—relying on an epic own goal from Christoph Kramer (no doubt you will have already seen plenty of vines) to secure a first league win since September.

Dortmund have only managed 12 goals in 11 league games, compared to their electric form in Europe’s elite competition with 13 goals in four games and a maximum points haul.

BVB don’t have a single player in the top 20 of the league scoring charts; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the internal list with a paltry three goals.

Ciro Immobile and Adrian Ramos have so far failed to fill the rather large hole left by Robert Lewandowski and have mustered just two league goals apiece.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Reus, widely considered BVB’s standout player, only has a couple himself whilst Henrikh Mkhitaryan hasn’t even broken his duck yet. Shinji Kagawa, re-signed with some fanfare from Manchester United, scored on his first outing back but hasn’t hit the target since.

However, skipper Mats Hummels told the club magazine Echt (Real in English) there is no need to be concerned.

“It’s definitely not the case that we’re playing any worse or battling less in the Bundesliga (than in the Champions League). Everything is almost like it should be. Effectiveness is our only big problem.”

Given even a marginal improvement in the conversion of chances, there is absolutely no reason why Dortmund cannot take maximum points from at least five of six remaining fixtures leading up to winter break.

Spurred on by that crucial victory over Gladbach, Dortmund will surely now kick on during a relatively easy programme of domestic fixtures.

Away games against Paderborn, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen all look extremely winnable.

Promoted Paderborn, currently sitting in a lofty ninth, are next up in the league. This looks the trickiest on paper, but in reality, Dortmund should be able to win all four away games with something to spare.

Hoffenheim and second-placed VfL Wolfsburg provide tougher opposition for Dortmund’s two remaining home fixtures. But by then Dortmund will have the momentum and should cruise to maximum points in front of their adoring faithful.        

Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Associated Press

So if we add 18 points to the current paltry points tally of 10, then things would be looking a little bit rosier in the black-and-yellow garden. A total of 28 points at the winter break would leave BVB handily placed to comfortably secure a Champions League spot next year.

While on the subject of the Champions League, qualification is already in the bag with top place seemingly a foregone conclusion with two group games to play.

Dortmund will get the result they need against Anderlecht at home, even if Kloppo and Co. go easy on Arsenal in London.

Simples.