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Additions are often referred to as reinforcements. That is a premature rating at the time of the commitment. Even now, after a good quarter of the Bundesliga season, it is too early to issue a sound report.
It is only a preliminary assessment possible, and that is sobering at the prominent entrances Borussia Dortmund. This can also be documented quite well with a photo. On Saturday, when BVB started the enormously important derby at FC Schalke 04, Nico Schulz, Julian Brandt and Thorgan Hazard sat on the bench.
Three internationals for Favre's system
In May, shortly after the end of last season, the club announced within two days that he had committed the three national players. Even if the interest and the agreements were already leaked, there was a whisper whether the purchases for in each case about 25 million euro. The BVB, it was said, is now so well occupied in the triple row of the preferred by coach Lucien Favre 4-2-3-1 system that the stated title ambitions are justified.
In Schalke then Achraf Hakimi played in the left attacking midfield, who had been expected as left or right defender for the season.
At the left end of the back four was Raphael Guerreiro, who had been expected to compete for Hazard and Brandt because the left-back position would now be occupied by Schulz or Hakimi.
The coach is desperate
Sometimes such shifts turn out to be lucky. But at Borussia Dortmund, they are just an expression of Favre's desperate search for a formation that lives up to its claims.
A fixed place of the new only Mats Hummels. He may also be referred to as reinforcement, after the 0: 0 in Gelsenkirchen he even has. Hummels won 15 out of 17 tackles without a foul. At the vote with his partner Julian Weigl in the central defense it sometimes haperte. Nevertheless, Hummels was clearly the best player of his team. The critical fans who blamed the club the return action from Munich, should have become very quiet.
"It all seems tough"
Hummels is a pillar in a team whose outline otherwise blurs. "It all seems tough," said sporting director Michael Zorc in Schalke after the again harmless appearance of the offensive. Only one goal scored the BVB in the past three competitive games. Paco Alcácer, the only center forward in the squad, will also be absent on Wednesday in the DFB Cup against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Marco Reus, who scored five league goals in the Bundesliga like Alcácer, misses the line-up. Mario Götze disappointed in Schalke in the central storm, was replaced early, also injured on the hand. Jadon Sancho, whose whereabouts are questionable beyond the season, seems playful to listless, but he was also in Gelsenkirchen again the most dangerous Dortmund as before in the Champions League at Inter Milan (0: 2).
As Favre currently occupies his offensive, it remains harmless.
Hazard is with five goals in the statistics, but he did not succeed. Brandt scored one, to 5: 1-final on Matchday 1 against FC Augsburg. A template did not make the former Leverkusen in the league yet. For him to get two in the Champions League at Slavia Prague. In the following game at SC Freiburg, he just sat on the bench and complained then via Bild newspaper: "This back and forth is a bit difficult."
Only Hummels can convince
The fact that Nico Schulz only comes to three league inserts for BVB, is also due to an injury. His achievements, however, were only modest to weak. In the past season, Schulz impressed with his dynamism at TSG Hoffenheim, but mostly in the left midfield in front of a three-way. In the game at Inter Milan also Favre chose this variant, Schulz remained ineffective in the offensive and owed the 0: 1, because he picked up a possible offside behind the defensive chain.
Most additions to the BVB are so far additions to the squad, only Mats Hummels slips in the preliminary rating in the category "reinforcement". That's not how it had been imagined in May.
