4 Things We Learned from VFL Bochum vs. Borussia Dortmund Friendly Match

Borussia Dortmund continued their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 defeat to Bochum on Friday night in their first game on Germany soil for the new season. 

Recently appointed coach Thomas Tuchel would have undoubtedly preferred a clean win, but even in defeat, there was plenty to pick at from this Dortmund performance.

Unlike the opponents in Dortmund's tour of Asia, Bochum offered far more in terms of pace and general physical pressure, which in turn clearly affected a few players who have yet to reach their peak fitness ahead of the new season. 

Here is what we learned from the pre-season friendly at the Ruhrstadion on Friday night.

Thomas Tuchel Tries out New Formation...Again

Shuji Kajiyama/Associated Press

Before the players kicked a ball on Friday night, much was made of the manner in which Tuchel had set up his side to face Bochum. 

Rather than the 4-1-4-1 formation we had seen in Japan or the more traditional 4-2-3-1 we had seen in Malaysia, the new manager had decided to play his first game on German soil with the Black and Yellows with a 4-4-2 diamond formation. 

With Roman Burki in goals, the defence took a standard shape of Lukasz Piszczek on the right, Marcel Schmelzer on the left, while Mats Hummels and Sokratis Papastathopoulos took up their positions in the middle of the park. 

Things got a little more interesting up the pitch, with Sven Bender sitting at the base of a midfield three of Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. This then allowed Shinji Kagawa to play as a proper No. 10 just behind the striker partnership of Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. 

A fascinating new formation that Tuchel had, until now, kept to himself. 

It Looks More and More Likely That Marco Reus Will Play as a Striker

Bernd Lauter/Associated Press

Friday night's clash with Bochum was very much a welcome surprise from Tuchel and Dortmund, as we noted in the last slide, but one notable characteristic of the system was the manner in which Tuchel played Reus as a striker alongside Aubameyang. 

Although Jurgen Klopp used the German forward exclusively as a left winger, the new manager has wasted little time deploying Reus as a lone striker for a number of Dortmund's friendlies this summer. 

Yet on Friday, we saw another new system, and with it, Reus once again played up front. Yet this time, he had a partner in attack. Whether on his own or on behalf of a striker partnership, Tuchel is training his star player for a stint up front. 

at the Back

Michael Probst/Associated Press

The tactics and selections Tuchel made with regard to Dortmund's attack were the basis of Friday's game, yet for parts of the contest, fans were undoubtedly more concerned at what they saw in defence. 

In the 4-3-3/4-4-2 diamond formation, it looked as though the side were still coming to terms with defending counter-attacks from Bochum, with much of the home side's wing attacks coming down each flank with very little opposition. 

Alas, it was Marco Terrazzino's goal in the 32nd minute that brought back some bad memories from last season through the manner in which Dortmund looked instantly helpless to stoping the goal when the back line was left to its own devices. 

Bochum Look Strong Ahead of Another 2.Bundesliga Season

Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Although much of Friday's action focused on Dortmund and how they'd be playing throughout the match, it was in fact the home side in Bochum who offered more to casual fans watching the game. 

Gertjan Verbeek's side looked hungry for the ball throughout the match and defended well through a system that continued to frustrate Dortmund's waves of attacks. Rather than Reus and Co. stealing the show, it was the home side's two smart goals—the second a wonderful volley from Tim Hoogland—that ended up concluding the game. 

This Bochum side may have another testing season ahead of them, but at the moment, they look well prepared for anything Germany's second tier can throw at them.