Borussia Dortmund finished as the best second place team in the league this year as well as reaching the cup final and playing some of best football in this year’s Europa League, but Thomas Tuchel’s first season in charge ended without any silverware. The new coach had big shoes to fill when he joined, following Jürgen Klopp’s successful seven year reign at the club, but the change of management was refreshing for the club and results on the pitch were excellent. Tuchel did not lose a game in any competition until his first away trip to Bayern München and the club progressed well in both the Europa League and cup as well. Tuchel revived the fortunes of some players who had been poor last season such as Henrik Mkhitaryan and he had the team playing excellent football. In most Bundesliga seasons he would have ran away with the league title but Bayern were just a touch stronger and after a brief spell at the top of the pile in rounds 2 – 6, Dortmund would sit in second for the rest of the campaign. But the squad did not give up and after Christmas they were again in stunning form in both league and cup competitions with the first side to beat them being Liverpool in their fateful away trip to Klopp’s new club. With the game all but won Dortmund somehow conceded three goals in the closing stages of the match to crash out of the competition many thought BVB would win. With the club also far behind in the league following a draw in away to Schalke the cup became the highest priority for Tuchel. Dortmund would reach the cup final before an agonising loss on penalties to old rivals Bayern. Dortmund therefore come out of a fine season with little to show for it. Next season will be a big challenge for Tuchel and his club. Dortmund will be back in the Champions League, a first for Tuchel as a coach. In addition, the coach will have to name a new captain as Mats Hummels has agreed a move to Bayern. Ilkay Gundogan is also expected to leave before the start of the new season. In their places young talent is already being secured to add to an exciting squad. Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took their partnership to the next level with some fine attacking displays but, whether they will be joined by Mkhitaryan next year, remains to be seen. Gonzalo Castro and Julian Weigl were also on fine form having joined last summer and became regulars in the team. In defence Sokratis was again very good and will enjoy taking the leading role in the back four next season. The best player of the lot though was certainly Aubameyang who scored 25 league goals and 14 in cup competitions to be the leading scorer at the club this year. If he and Reus play together next campaign as they did this season then Dortmund will be guaranteed goals. With a change of management at Bayern, Tuchel may have a chance of taking his club a place higher in the league but he will look to develop his team further during pre season as Dortmund prepare for a big season in 2016/17.
