{ "id": "4105", "author": "23", "title": "Champions League: Five Reasons That Make Dortmund The Favourites Against Chelsea", "lang": "en", "series": "1", "cup_year": "0000", "article_type": "general", "excerpt": "Champions League: Ahead of their last-16 duel against Premier League side Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund are enjoying a sportive high-flight.\u00a0Six victories in a series not only give proof of the team having gained stability but seems to open doors for greater success this season.", "subtype": null, "editor1": "

Champions League: <\/strong>Ahead of their last-16 duel against Premier League side Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund are enjoying a sportive high-flight. Six victories in a series not only give proof of the team having gained stability but seems to open doors for greater success this season, reports Xinhua.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Not only do the clubs' fans hope to proceed to the next round in the Champions League, but it might also deliver a motivation boost for the national campaign. The dream of the first league title since 2012 becomes clearer and clearer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

As a fact, crossing swords with the Blues this Wednesday comes as a duel on eye level. And more: Many see the Black and Yellows as the slight favourites against a struggling London side.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Well-balanced squad<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Ten goals scored by substitutes are telling parts of the story of a well-equipped squad while the team is benefitting from the upswing of cornerstones such as Julian Brandt, Jude Bellingham, and Marco Reus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

A few months ago, the injury loss of upstart Youssoufa Moukoko might have caused significant concerns; now, the BVB is pulling recovered Sebastien Haller out of the hat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

While the German international has been suffering from a ligament injury since last weekend, it's the French spearhead who has fully recovered from a cancer illness.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

New fighting qualities<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Coach Edin Terzic's team has added hard-earned victories coming along with a newly developed robustness to its portfolio.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Goal scoring is put on many shoulders to increase the teams' unpredictability. Efficiency has become a familiar phrase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Team leader Bellingham is benefitting from the support provided by Brandt and Reus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The back-row wall<\/p>\r\n\r\n

German internationals such as Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck developed into the club's "new wall"; not to speak of keeper Gregor Kobel. The Swiss international is seen as one of the league's best.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The performance increase of both central defenders has forced 2014 World Cup champion Mats Hummels into his new role as a back-bencher. The aged former cornerstone is accepting his downgrading and instead is fulfilling a caretaker role. In Bremen (2-0), he guided the injured Moukoko to the locker room.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Haller as a mood booster<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Last summer, the bad news of the French strikers' illness caught the club when attending a pre-season training camp. A shockwave made the entire club shiver.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Having recovered lionheartedly within a few months, Haller triggered a spark among his teammates. The coach and players talked of the striker's contagious optimism affecting the entire squad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"It's striking that the entire team is benefitting from Sebastien's great personality," sporting director Sebastian Kehl stated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Bench forces<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Second-row performers such as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Mo Dahoud, Giovanni Reyna, and Salih Ozcan make the team forget about performance losses when being substituted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Bench forces<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Also Read: <\/strong> Cricket Tales<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

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