What Is Borussia Dortmund's Best Starting XI Right Now?

Six competitive matches into the 2016/17 season, Borussia Dortmund's start to the campaign can be considered fairly successful.

A loss in the DFL-Supercup against longtime nemesis Bayern Munich didn't reflect the Black and Yellows' superiority in the game, while a 3-0 victory over Regionalliga side Eintracht Trier could easily have looked more impressive in the box score if not for some bad finishing luck for the Ruhr side.

Their Bundesliga campaign started with two deceivingly tough matches against high-pressure teams Mainz 05 and RB Leipzig, with a 2-1 home win followed by a 1-0 loss in Saxony—a result that presumably won't look too bad down the road if the promoted side continue their strong start to the season.

Dortmund's reaction to the disappointment against their fans' object of hate could hardly have been more convincing, as they beat both Legia Warsaw in their UEFA Champions League opener and SV Darmstadt on Saturday 6-0. The beatdown of the Hessians was especially impressive considering head coach Thomas Tuchel used the game for some rotation.

The 43-year-old is already reaping the benefits of the unprecedented depth the club acquired over the summer. Against Darmstadt, Dortmund were without the injured Marco Reus and Andre Schurrle, while Tuchel also left Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mario Gotze on the bench—that could well be his first-choice attack in some games this season.

The Black and Yellows didn't miss a beat and showed their gaffer that he can trust in his second string, an important factor as Dortmund navigate a tight schedule throughout the year.

For the big games, of course, Tuchel will likely have a first-choice XI in mind. How might that look? Bleacher Report breaks it down below.

Before looking at personnel, however, comes the formation. After struggling in the buildup phase against Mainz and Leipzig, Dortmund opted for a 4-1-4-1 alignment in both blowout wins, looking far more structured on the ball with Julian Weigl as a main passing hub in front of the defence.

The 21-year-old told Spox.com's Jochen Tittmar (link in German) after the Champions League match that he likes playing as the lone holding midfielder because it allows him more space, and the assumption is that Dortmund will continue with that strategy.

Defence

Goalkeeper Roman Burki hasn't had many opportunities to show his qualities as a shot-stopper so far. He has, however, showed an improved accuracy in his passing, per WhoScored.com, completing almost 85 per cent of his passes in the Bundesliga compared to 73.3 per cent last year. Of course, the sample size is almost negligible after only three matches.

The Switzerland international should benefit from playing in Europe's premier competition for the first time—it's easy to forget that he's relatively young for a 'keeper at a top club at 25 years of age.

Ahead of him, three spots in the back line seem cemented for the time being. Team captain Marcel Schmelzer and centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos are the only players to start all six matches of the campaign, while summer signing Marc Bartra partnered with the Greece international before getting a rest at the weekend.

The Masia graduate hasn't quite followed up his impressive performances in pre-season and against Bayern in terms of his distribution from the back, but the partnership with Sokratis has looked steady in defence. 

Matthias Ginter replaced Bartra against Darmstadt and played well in the absence of a modicum of danger from the visitors, while Sven Bender still nurses an injury he picked up on international duty at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The one spot that's open for debate is at right-back. Eighteen-year-old Felix Passlack has impressed in four starts in place of veteran Lukasz Piszczek. The academy product brings a level of energy and dynamism that the ageing Poland international can't match.

His experience, of course, gives the 31-year-old the edge for bigger games, but no one should be surprised if Passlack ends up playing more minutes over the course of the season. His outings in the early stages of the season haven't given Tuchel any reason not to trust in one of his youngest players.

Midfield

Even though Weigl hasn't quite reached the remarkable level of consistency he showed during an incredible maiden campaign in the German top flight last season, he's clearly one of, if not the most important player for Tuchel.

The Germany international is a balancing force in Dortmund's midfield and an automatic selection as long as he's fit and healthy. Seeing as Nuri Sahin and Mikel Merino, the two other players who could conceivably play as a lone No. 6 in a 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3, have yet to see the field, Weigl may well be the first name on the teamsheet each and every game.

The two spots ahead of him are where the Black and Yellows have arguably the most depth in their squad. In Gonzalo Castro, Gotze, Raphael Guerreiro, Shinji Kagawa and Sebastian Rode, no fewer than five players of proven quality battle for the starting XI.

After two performances worthy of man-of-the-match honours against Legia and Darmstadt, Euro 2016 champion Guerreiro looks to have put a stranglehold on one of the two spots.

The 22-year-old has impressed as an all-action central midfielder with good passing range, clever movements and impeccable technique both in his shooting and his delivery from set pieces.

"

Raphaël Guerreiro & Marcel Schmelzer vs Darmstadt (Home) #BVBhttps://t.co/PXVWC5mAUq

— Ali (@Gxetze) September 18, 2016"

Signed for a reported €12 million from FC Lorient in the summer, the Portugal international already looks like a major bargain and difference-maker for Tuchel.

Gotze and Castro have both started one match next to Guerreiro and impressed, with the returnee from Bavaria scoring his first goal against Legia and Castro hitting a brace against Darmstadt. 

The latter brings more energy to the team, as he likes to run into danger areas and often conjures up scoring opportunities with simple touches of the ball, while FIFA World Cup-winner Gotze is the more strategic and technical player. 

Tuchel is bringing the 24-year-old along relatively slowly, which shouldn't come as a surprise given his injury woes over an ultimately disappointing three-year spell at the Allianz Arena.

Rode also came over from Bayern in the summer and had surprised in pre-season, but so far he has struggled to carry over that form in a competitive setting. His inefficiency in moving the ball forward against Mainz and Leipzig, one has to assume, was a big factor in Tuchel moving to a system with Weigl alone in front of defence.

Compared to Castro and Gotze, the 25-year-old lacks creativity and passing skills, which will render him a back-up for most games. He could, however, be of importance against better opponents, where his energy and aggression would help Dortmund in a game plan more geared toward counter-pressing than possession football.

Deciding between Gotze and Castro seems like splitting hairs after the latter's explosion with three goals and two assists in the last two wins, but, if pressed, Tuchel would likely prefer Gotze, because Castro hasn't shown a great deal of consistency in his time at the club.

Attacking Wings and Striker

If not central midfield, then the wings are the positions where Dortmund have the best depth in their squad. The difference is that, in midfield, even the back-ups are of proven Bundesliga quality, whereas the second-string wingers are all teenagers.

With Reus out for the foreseeable future, Schurrle, Ousmane Dembele, Emre Mor and Christian Pulisic are fighting for the two spots.

Club-record signing Schurrle surprised with his creative output against Mainz, assisting both goals for Aubameyang, and he has generally taken to reuniting with his former coach like a fish to water, before missing the two 6-0 hammerings with a slight knee injury.

With Tuchel praising his model pupil at every opportunity, it seems a given that Schurrle will retake his spot on the left wing upon his return.

That leaves the three teenagers for the other side. Mor has yet to start a game as he learns the ins and outs of Bundesliga football. Thanks to his ingenuity on the ball, the Turkey international is an ideal substitute to cause havoc against tiring back lines.

Dembele and Pulisic have both started games and largely played well, with the Frenchman creating three goals so far. 

The summer signing seems desperate to open his own account, which has resulted in some questionable decision-making at times, but his incredible talent can't be denied.

Pulisic, who turned 18 on Sunday, has been more effective in his playing time, with one goal and three assists in 180 minutes against Legia and Darmstadt. He has a leg up on his competition thanks to spending the second half of last season with Tuchel, as he knows how to work defensively and generally seems to have a better understanding of the tactical plans than Dembele.

Of course, it's important not to burn out such a young player, so Dortmund will give the United States international regular spots to rest and digest his rise, but they seem "happy to let Pulisic keep his spot on the right wing and continue to thrive for the time being," as Stefan Bienkowski noted for Deutsche Welle.

Up top, finally, there's no question that Aubameyang remains the clear-cut starter, with Adrian Ramos a quality back-up who reminded of his readiness to step in in case of emergency with a strong performance against Darmstadt.

Both the Gabonese and the Colombian haven't looked great in terms of finishing so far, but with improved service from midfield since the inclusion of Guerreiro and Pulisic, that shouldn't be too big an issue going forward.

To summarise, this is Dortmund's best starting XI right now:

Burki, Passlack, Sokratis, Bartra, Schmelzer, Weigl, Pulisic, Gotze, Guerreiro, Schurrle, Aubameyang.

Did we miss something? Do you disagree with our choices? Tell us your best Dortmund XI in the comments below.

Lars Pollmann also writes for the Yellow Wall. You can follow him on Twitter.