A Progress Report on Borussia Dortmund Heading into October International Break

When Borussia Dortmund unveiled Thomas Tuchel to the press back in June, the new head coach spoke to the millions of fans of the black and yellows just as much as he did to the scores of journalists in the packed room. 

He viewed his new team as a "challenger and contender" for every competition, as the club's official website relayed:

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We want to be seen as a contender that the quartet of Bayern Munich, VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen need to take seriously. This means we need to close the gap and to really dedicate ourselves to achieving this.

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Going into the October international break after eight matchdays in the Bundesliga, almost a quarter of the season, that mission seems accomplished.

Dortmund, despite suffering a heavy defeat in Munich last Sunday, have enjoyed a very impressive start to the season so far. They won their first 11 games in all competitions, easily a club record. They've scored 22 goals in eight Bundesliga matches—only Munich has more with 28. The next best teams have 13.

Dortmund hold an advantage of eight points over Monchengladbach, five over Wolfsburg and four over Leverkusen and sit second in the Bundesliga table, trailing only Munich, who have yet to drop a point.

Of the group Tuchel vowed to challenge this season, they beat Monchengladbach on Matchday 1 and Leverkusen a month later without conceding in either game.

Dortmund are also on par to win their Europa League group. After a late winner from Park Joo-ho put them past Russia's FC Krasnodar in the Signal Iduna Park in the opening fixture, an undermanned side managed a draw at PAOK Saloniki.

It is not all sunshine and roses for Borussia Dortmund, however. 

The team has dropped points in three consecutive Bundesliga games and is winless in four in all competitions. Add the October international break and the team will take on Mainz 05 on Bundesliga Matchday 9 without a win in a month. 

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

The two draws at 1899 Hoffenheim and against Bundesliga newcomers Darmstadt 98 at home probably hurt the club more than the thrashing at Munich. To lose against the "best side in the world right now," as Tuchel called the Bavarians after the game on Sunday in an interview with German TV station Sky, is excusable. To drop four points to a side that was 17th when the two teams met in Hoffenheim and a newly promoted one in Darmstadt at home, not so much.

And while Dortmund had good penalty shouts in both draws (the one against Darmstadt was an especially baffling decision, as Deutsche Welle tweeted), one can argue Dortmund are too strong a team to let these games come down to refereeing decisions. 

Tuchel located the reasons for the recent struggles of the team in defence, telling Sky (via the official club website) after the game in Munich that his players need to improve concentration and discipline in positioning. Dortmund had only conceded three goals in the five wins to start the new Bundesliga season. In the three games since, they've conceded eight.

Offensively, Dortmund's perpetual struggle to take their chances has cost them as well. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the only consistent goalscorer for the club at the moment, as he set a new Bundesliga record, scoring in all eight games to start the season. He has also scored Dortmund's last five Bundesliga goals.

With Marco Reus struggling to find his form and Henrikh Mkhitaryan's early-season goalscoring frenzy proving to be unsustainable, the team lacks a consistent threat from midfield.

PATRIK STOLLARZ/Getty Images

The October international break won't allow Tuchel to take corrective action through training, as no fewer than 14 first-team players are away on international duty.

With the next Bundesliga fixture a rare Friday game and the players returning to Dortmund in spurts, chances are Tuchel will find it difficult to get significant tactical work done. 

While the team is on course to achieve the goals set out before the season, namely to challenge last year's top four and qualify for the Champions League, they are trending in the wrong direction. A busy schedule after the international break will provide ample opportunity to gauge Dortmund's progress.

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Lars Pollmann is a Featured Columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. 
You can find his work at yellowwallpod.com and follow him on Twitter.