1) Unpredictability
The Champions League was associated with a high amount of ball possession and some additional pressing in previous years. Dortmund completely changed this perception by doing unimaginable damage to their opponents with possession as low as just above thirty percent.
Their intense pressing was just too much to bear. Opponents could not rest for a single second when playing them.
The trickery of their players has added to their unpredictable playing style, confusing the rest of Europe and confining other teams to defeats.
2) Youth
Age is an oft discussed factor in the media. Had Klopp’s players been older, they would perhaps not have been able to play at their highest levels week in week out as pressing continuously is extremely difficult. The youngsters, or players who are still under 26, in the squad include Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, Mario Götze, Sven Bender, Ilkay Gündogan, Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic and Marcel Schmelzer. Indeed the team is extremely youthful. Also, it is often said that the young do not care about reputation. Indeed, Dortmund only seemed terrified for a few seconds this campaign; against Real Madrid towards the end of the second leg.
The tears at the end of that game expressed youthful joy more than anything, especially when Reus, the same Reus who banged the ground and cried when Gladbach lost on penalties to Bayern in the DFB Pokal semifinals last season, jumped on Lewandowski and let his tears flow. The energy running through this side was previously unforeseen. The team is what it is today mostly down to its youth.
3) Belief
There is an unerring feeling in Dortmund and in Germany that if Jürgen Klopp asked his players to jump off a building for him, they would indeed do so. Klopp is simply a father figure to his players. They hang on to his every word; they all believe in him. Unity is incredibly important. Bayern was not unified last season; this season their unity has seen each player trust Jupp Heynckes more than ever, producing the best team in Bundesliga history.
Dortmund’s belief in their coach and in themselves has seen them come back from the jaws of defeat this season. Against Malaga, they were on the verge of elimination but produced two goals in injury time to progress to the following round. Every team needs its fair share of luck and Dortmund earned it in that tie. It is however their belief which helped them produced the comeback in the first place.
4) Learning from past mistakes
BVB made a succession of errors last season and learned from each of them. They stuck true to their nature rather than reverting to different tactics unlike last season. They displayed ruthlessness in front of goal in some matches, something which they failed to do remarkably last season. Also, they managed to find the perfect balance between pressing incessantly and sitting back. Last season, Dortmund tired out easily because they would press for ninety minutes. This season, they pressed in spells throughout matches to keep their energy levels up.
5) Marco Reus and Ilkay Gündogan
Last season, for all the chances they created, Dortmund could not convert. Also, they were often caught out at the back because of counterattacking too much. The chances they created were not always clear cut ones. Gündogan, like Javi Martinez for Bayern, has turned out to be the missing piece of the puzzle.
His passing under pressure and his abilities to help out the back four as well to connect the attack to defence has seen his team progress from group stage embarrassments to finalists. Marco Reus has added further unpredictability to this team; his wizardry was something which Shinji Kagawa could not provide in the Champions League last season. These two players, despite the wonderful efforts of the rest of the squad including Roman Weidenfeller, Mario Götze and Robert Lewandowski, have been mainly responsible for sending this team to the final.
Do you agree with these factors? Let us hear your thoughts!
