Emre Can has to turn words into deeds

Erling Haaland’s surprisingly early return to the field also presents BVB trainer Marco Rose with a difficult task. Emre Can must also go ahead against Bayern Munich and BVB has only a few recipes to fend off attacks from the right. Three theses on BVB’s 3-1 win against Wolfsburg on matchday 13 of the Bundesliga.

1. Rose has to come up with a new role for painting

Donyell Malen has arrived at BVB. This is indicated recently by increased performances including the strong second half of the 22-year-old in Wolfsburg. The goal for the so important 2: 1 in the VW arena was the third Malen goal in the last three games.

But despite a good performance, the Dutchman had to leave the field after 72 minutes, after all, a certain Erling Haaland celebrated his comeback. An indication of the problem that Marco Rose will face when Haaland returns to the starting XI: He has to find a new position for Malen.

Haaland is set in the storm center, Malen will not be able to stay there. Even if he finally found good shape in his favorite position. The Dutchman was brought in to replace Jadon Sancho, but he couldn’t convince on the wings.

What remains? One possibility that should also play a role in Rose’s mind: the dual leadership of Haaland / Malen. The Norwegian would act as a striker, the lively Malen around him in a kind of Thomas Müller role. Malen played something similar under PSV coach Roger Schmidt with Eran Zahavi as a congenial partner.

Does Rose deviate from his preferred system?

In addition to the advantage of having both form-strong strikers on the field, a double lead in a 4-4-2 should be charming, because the current problem area of ​​the wing would be eliminated. The Dortmunders simply lack the right players here.

Julian Brandt and Marco Reus feel visibly uncomfortable on the outside, Marius Wolf tries hard, but mostly does not meet the high standards at BVB. With Hazard (currently Corona) there is only one real winger with sufficient quality in the squad.

Whether the coach wants to deviate from his last tried and tested 4-2-3-1 basic order remains questionable. Either way: A new task has to be found for painting.

2. The left side is the biggest problem area for BVB

Nico Schulz and Julian Brandt. So Marco Rose set up his left side in Wolfsburg. The result was little, very little.

While Schulz again looked shaky defensively and hardly appeared offensively, Brandt completely disappeared for a long time. Taken together, the duo lost 33 balls. If Brandt hadn’t prepared the 3: 1 by Haaland strongly, one could have spoken of a non-performance of the two former German national players. BVB hardly had any form of defense against attacks from the right.

That may have been enough against Wolfsburg. Against the upcoming opponent, FC Bayern, things should be different. In Nagelsmann’s asymmetrical game system, Kingsley Coman has been on the right track for weeks. In addition, Thomas Müller prefers to come via the right – and Leon Goretzka also makes steam from behind.

So for the Dortmunders: you have to close the left side.

Raphael Guerreiro could help with this. The Portuguese injured himself most recently during the warm-up against Sporting Lisbon, but was already an option against VfL Wolfsburg. If he is fit by Saturday, as expected, he should be placed in the back left.

And offensive? Rose has to think of something. Thorgan Hazard may return from his quarantine, he plows the wing, especially defensively, much better than Brandt. The young Ansgar Knauff, on the other hand, shouldn’t be an option, such a game at the highest level comes too early for him.

3. Can must also lead in an important game

It had only been a few seconds in the VW arena when the recently much criticized Emre Can already showed what he is actually made of. In a robust duel, the national player, who was called up as six, took the ball and initiated the Dortmund’s first dangerous attack, only to throw himself back into a duel a little later on his own sixteen.

There were scenes like this several times in the episode, Can always lead the way and played such a big part in it that BVB neither buckled after the early 0: 1, nor in a hectic phase after the 2: 1 including a big chance for Wolfsburgs Waldschmidt was crucially upset.

Almost idle to mention that Can, who did his team a disservice at the 1: 3 in Lisbon by his – albeit highly debatable – dismissal, also had his part in ensuring that Dortmund took the lead in the first place. He scored the interim 1: 1 with a sovereign penalty kick. The second BVB leader that evening won the penalty: Marco Reus. While Can held the store together in the back, Reus plowed the other half of the field – also with success.

Above all, however, it is Can who will have to prove in the top game against Bayern Munich next week that he can also be the important leading player for BVB in important games. “We all have to be aware of how important this game is for us. We said before the season that we want to be as close as possible to Bayern or even stand in front of them when we play against them. We have to have the week work hard, “he said after the 2-1 win in Wolfsburg Sky. He has to translate words into deeds.

Bundesliga: The table after the 13th matchday