In an ideal world, we would love to have a great squad. Having players come in and do the same job that the previous ones did. But we don't all live in an ideal world; clubs like PSG and Bayern do. With Dortmund, they have a pretty good squad, but as they struggled to strut their sexy stuff against Hoffenheim, what became apparent was how vital Gundogan and Mkhitaryan are to the team.
Dortmund just did not look the same in that first half, and Hoffenheim knew it. Usually, they would be cutting defenses with ease and constructing chances with their eyes closed. With Reus back in the team with his partner in crime, Aubameyang, this should have been a routine victory. But with Castro tasked to be the midfield general for this match, it just wasn't the same. It's not that he played badly and gave the ball away, but he doesn't possess that extra kryptonian vision that Gundogan got from Kal-El. He just went through the motions without really implementing some imagination for Reus and Aubameyang to feed off of.
One cannot forget the Armenian baller. Mkhitaryan has really come into his element this season and has shown his importance to the Dormund cause. Without him, Dortmund lacked that extra attacking thrust that conjures up the multitude of chances they have been generating in a game. Mkhitaryan just has a very strong attacking sensibility that the other Dortmund players don't have. Him not being there in the first half, Dortmund were not able to really exploit the heart of Hoffenheim's defense, and go surgical on their organs without the tools of the Armenian maestro.
As the second half came, with Gundogan on the pitch, Dortmund could have won it. What was for sure is Adrian Ramos cannot touch a football pitch for at least five months. He had at least two great chances to win it for Dortmund, and showed the kind of touch a hundred year old whale would possess. It was just awful to watch, and Tuchel needs to think of an alternative for him. But away from my digression, Gundogan again showed why he is one of the best central midfielders in the game today. His knowledge of those around him is on an expert level. Before the ball comes to him, he already knows what pass to make and it's usually the right one. He really is approaching that Pirlo level of dominance of a match. In the second half, with everything being played through him, Dortmund looked like they just had a facelift from a Californian porn surgeon. But alas, that winning G did not arrive.
I am hoping that Dortmund have all their players fit and play their best team against Bayern's best as well. If so, it has the chance, I hope, to be one of the matches of the season. Saying that, because the teams are so good and closely matched in quality, it could turn out being a rather close affair...until Lewandowski injects himself with that superhero juice and scores seven in three minutes, just for laughs.
HH
