Borussia Dortmund goes into the winter break with a sense of success in the Bundesliga. BVB’s first half of the season reads mixed at best. Sports director Lars Ricken expects a tough race for Champions League qualification.
“Even though it’s only two points, it will be a huge challenge. It will be a huge effort,” said Ricken, looking ahead to the second half of the season after Borussia Dortmund’s 3-1 away win at VfL Wolfsburg.
The first half of the season for the Black and Yellows was a constant ups and downs. The success against the Wolves marked BVB’s first away win of the current Bundesliga season. Since the Westphalians are strong at home (six wins, two draws), they are in sixth place at the start of the winter break. The gap to the Champions League places is only two points. League leaders FC Bayern (36 points) already seem too far away for Borussia Dortmund (25) after the first 15 matchdays.
“We are now sixth. And that is the place we deserved in the end,” said Ricken.
Out of the DFB Cup, good starting position in the Champions League
While BVB already failed in the second round of the DFB Cup against VfL Wolfsburg (0:1 nV), the traditional club is on target in the newly created league phase of the Champions League. BVB is ninth with twelve points from six matches two game days before the end. Direct qualification for the round of 16, which requires a place in the top eight, is within reach. Dortmund will face FC Bologna away from home in the premier class (January 21st) and Shakhtar Donetsk at home (January 29th).
“We are absolutely convinced that we will get straight into the round of 16 with the two remaining games,” said Ricken.
Sports director Sebastian Kehl spoke to “DAZN” about an “intense January”. BVB will face Bayer Leverkusen (January 10th), Holstein Kiel (January 14th), Eintracht Frankfurt (January 17th) and Werder Bremen (January 25th) in the Bundesliga next month.
“We will use the time. Every player will reflect and we have to analyze things. We can do it, we have shown that in many games. But the consistency was missing and we have to put emphasis on that again from January,” demanded Kehl.