Borussia Dortmund advanced to the quarterfinals of the Europa League Thursday with a 2-1 (5-1 on aggregate) victory over Tottenham Hotspur. The Black and Yellow Army are playing their best football of the season right now, but their schedule is only getting more rigorous as the fixture list dwindles. Can Dortmund balance a run at the Europa League crown whilst attempting to make up the ground between them and Bayern Munich domestically? It’ll be a tough ask, but tough asks are commonplace for BVB.
It will all come down to whether or not Dortmund feel the need to prioritize one competition or the other. They will end up in the Champions League either way, but what piece of silverware would mean most to them? They’ve won the Bundesliga most recently in back to back fashion in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Besting Bayern Munich though is always a daunting task, and one that would be justly commended throughout the European footballing community. The Europa League may still be a secondary competition to the Champions League, but the caveat of a guaranteed Champions League spot for the winner, along with silverware, is something that would be quite beholden at Signal Iduna Park. BVB haven’t won a European trophy since the 2001-02 UEFA Cup, the predecessor to the Europa League.
Tottenham showed their hand in the Europa League, clearly putting out lesser lineups in both legs against Dortmund as they chase their first top flight title since 1960-61. BVB’s intentions remain foggy though as they went full speed ahead in the competition, even if it further congested their fixture list, already clogged with Bundesliga and DFB Pokal commitments. Manager Thomas Tuchel has not changed the culture from previous manager Jurgen Klopp, which means that while he may not say it outright, his men are going for all the glory.
Now Klopp is just one of many noteworthy defections from the club over the past few years. After a down year last term, Klopp tearfully resigned his post at Borussia Dortmund. He would join Liverpool this season. Prized players Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze made their way to Bayern Munich over the past three seasons after starring for their Champions League runners-up campaign. So it is clearly the devious work of the football gods that Borussia Dortmund will have to get by both their old manager and two of their recent greats to claim a double.
The Europa League draw Friday morning put Klopp’s Reds in the firing line for Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and company in the quarter-finals. It has already been stated that Bayern Munich is all that stands between Dortmund and a Bundesliga title. Two teams primed for further raids of Die Borussen will take aim at stopping those they covet.
But it isn’t just those two who will be calling this summer. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, and many more will be making inquiries as to the availability of the majority of Dortmund’s starting XI. That fact just adds more pressure to win now on the club. While they will surely retool, as they always have, the loss of top scorer Aubameyang, captain Mats Hummels, Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, or Henrikh Mkhitaryan would delay a future chance at either championship. So with all these factors in play, can BVB strike a balance?
Mauricio Pochettino viewed Leicester City as the easier target for Spurs. Thomas Tuchel doesn’t have such a fallback plan for his men. While it may be taxing, I don’t think Dortmund can sacrifice much in either chase and hope to remain in both. Nevertheless, they do have the depth, and firepower, to balance both over these final two and a half months. There is too much uncertainty in their immediate future not to.