Marco Reus Alternatives Prove Dortmund Have Bright Future Post-Jurgen Klopp

The Westfalenstadion was always going to be rocking from one stand to the other on Saturday in honour of Jurgen Klopp and his recent decision to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season. Yet by the time the final whistle was blown, the team deserved a standing ovation as well after claiming a 3-0 victory. 

Although the opponent was lowly Paderborn—a side that have won just one of their last eight games—Klopp's injury-ravished squad rallied behind their manager and put on a notable performance while the likes of Neven Subotic, Nuri Sahin and Marco Reus sat injured in the stands. 

The three points gained will make a difference for Dortmund's late push for European football, with the Black and Yellows now sitting just three points off Augsburg in sixth before their own clash with Stuttgart later that day. 

Much of this week's chatter from the press and media has been around the fate of this club once Klopp packs his bags in June, yet any presumptuous suggestions of doom and gloom were put on momentary pause as the likes of Shinji Kagawa and Henrikh Mkhitaryan showed that there was still plenty of firepower in this side—even without the likes of Reus.

The Armenian international was a particular delight to watch, weaving passes through the final third and making sure he was at the centre of everything Dortmund's attack did for the three goals. The 26-year-old even managed to grab a goal for himself, only his third of the current campaign.

When we take a look at the passes the attacking midfielder made throughout the game—via the Squawka graphic below—we can see that Mkhitaryan was truly on top form as Dortmund's makeshift playmaker on Saturday.

Squawka

It's clear for all to see that he played notably better when moved on to the left wing and perhaps out of Reus' shadow for the day. Although he started out wide, Mkhitaryan certainly enjoyed moving into the middle of the park where he could dictate the play and make those final passes.

Perhaps like Thomas Muller and other top players, the Armenian international just needs to find himself drifting into such space to really excel, rather than be placed their initially with little room to roam or float around the final third of the pitch. 

As we can see from the graphic, alongside his goal, the attacking midfielder made two key passes during the match as well as a number of short, intricate passes to keep Dortmund's attack on song. Did we finally get to see a glimpse of the player Klopp spent so much money on not so long ago? 

Of course, Mkhitaryan wasn't the only star on Saturday. 

Another unlikely name on the scoreboard against Paderborn was Mkhitaryan's partner in crime on the day, Kagawa, who similarly looked as though he had been given a new lease of life without Reus on the pitch. 

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

The Japanese international wasn't as attack-minded or as aggressive on the ball as his Armenian colleague, but against a limited midfield, he certainly looked like his old, composed self on the ball and clever whenever he was off it. 

The late addition of Erik Durm at right-back was also a major boost to an already light back line, yet he nor his coach could have predicted just how well he would excel on the day. 

The young German international has played on the right side of the defence on a few isolated occasions this season—particularly in the Champions League—but will undoubtedly be pushing Lukasz Piszczek for a starting berth next season, based on his performances each time Klopp places him there. 

The 22-year-old is naturally right-footed and looks like a different player when allowed to attack opposition lines and cross the ball in like a normal, galavanting full-back. A very welcome sign for Dortmund, considering their woes with both Piszczek and Kevin Grosskreutz in such a position over the course of this season. 

Of course, results against such opposition shall always be taken in context of the larger picture of the Bundesliga campaign, but on the back of a week full of torment for the average Dortmund fan, it was some welcome respite.

Klopp may be leaving in the summer, and an offseason of major upheaval may be at hand, but fans can rest assured in the knowledge that there are still players at Dortmund with the quality to win games in style. And they'll most likely be here long after the much-loved manager takes his leave. 

@Sbienkowski