Borussia Dortmund Are Finally on Their Way Back

It was, according to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, “a bit of fun,” as per the official Bundesliga website. The Batman and Robin celebration that the Gabon striker performed with Marco Reus after the former had opened the scoring for Borussia Dortmund in the Revierderby with Schalke was one of the season’s most memorable—and one of its most laboured, as Aubameyang fumbled in his bag behind the goal to get his props out.

It has taken a while for unbridled joy to return to Signal Iduna Park in this most trying of campaigns, but there was no doubting the mood in the arena on Saturday afternoon. A comprehensive 3-0 dismissal of their most bitter local rivals helped, of course, but Dortmund’s day of success was about more than points won and a point made. This was about progress.

The atmospheric home of Jurgen Klopp’s side has been the scene of many of their struggles this season. Even after racking up seven goals in their last two home fixtures (the Schalke win followed a 4-2 win over Mainz), Die Schwarzgelben have scored a modest 16 in 11 Bundesliga home matches in 14-15.

As the contrast between Dortmund’s domestic and European form became more acute as autumn set in, it became clear what their problem was. In the Champions League, they could counter-attack with venom, as the pace of Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan came to the fore.

At home, it was a different story. For the bulk of this Bundesliga season, only the all-conquering Bayern Munich have had more possession than Dortmund—that remained the case on Monday, with Dortmund claiming 55.8 percent per game on average, via WhoScored.

Being proactive, rather than reactive, has come far less naturally. Losses before Christmas against inferior opposition including Cologne, Hamburg, Hannover and Hertha Berlin followed an alarmingly regular pattern; territorial advantage, domination, missed chances, defensive lapses and eventual defeat.

So Saturday’s win marked a giant step forward. Dortmund dominated as they have so many times already in this campaign but didn’t panic as Schalke (and their impressive young goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther) held firm. Aubameyang’s opener didn’t arrive until the 78th minute, but poor Wellenreuther cracked before the home side did, inadvertently gifting Reus the third after Mkhitaryan helped himself to a goal.

If anything, the victory was all the sweeter for the wait. It must have been particularly sweet for Klopp, too. He has been under the microscope in recent months; quite rightly too, as Dortmund’s repetitive self-destructive behaviour began to suggest that the 47-year-old had run out of tactical ideas, or ways to motivate his men—or both.

His reputation has recovered from a dent before, when Mainz were relegated in 2007 and he failed in his attempt to get them straight back up at the first attempt, prompting his departure after almost two decades of service as both player and coach.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

The autumn and winter slump to the bottom felt like a more profound crisis, however, and not just because it attracted significantly more media attention. It is popularly accepted that Klopp has the second-best squad of players in Germany at his disposal. It was unfathomable that he seemed to have run out of answers.

As Dortmund and Klopp have now done much to avert the doomsday scenario, perhaps his reputation will even be enhanced by the turnaround. There is life in their season yet, with Tuesday’s DfB Pokal last-16 tie at Dynamo Dresden next up and an intriguing Champions League return leg against Juventus at Westfalen to come.

A return to the competition via a top-four place is not impossible either. The win over Schalke leaves them a relatively bridgeable eight points from Leverkusen, the current incumbents of fourth, though a near-faultless run would be required between now and the end of the season.

For now, the feeling of fun, instead of furrowed brows, is enough. That joie de vivre that made Europe fall in love with Dortmund in the first place is on its way back.