Borussia Dortmund title odds – So near yet so far

BORUSSIA DORTMUND TITLE ODDS – SO NEAR YET SO FAR – All three of these teams in the third part of this 2023/24 Bundesliga season preview series are widely expected to challenge for the top-six. To start with, we have a wounded Dortmund side that dropped an almighty ball on the final day of 2022/23.

SEE ALSO:

• Part 1 (Augsburg, Bayern, Bochum)
• Part 2 (Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne, Darmstadt)

Dortmund

Back on May 27, the despair around Westfalenstadion was palpable, as an unthinkable scenario unfolded for Edin Terzić’s men. All they had to do was beat mid-table Mainz to end Bayern’s long streak as champions…

…but when they found themselves 2-0 down after just 24 minutes, the writing was on the wall:

And as was the case after Erling Haaland’s departure last year, the usual Dortmund XI once again has a huge hole to fill. Star talent Jude Bellingham joined giants Real Madrid on June 14, and this can only make their potential redemption harder to get.

But the club is once again flush after another success for its incredible youth talent network. As such, anything other than a podium finish in 2024 is unthinkable.

Club info

• Founded: 1909
• Stadium: Westfalenstadion / Signal Iduna Park
  • Capacity: 81,365
• Notable honors: Bundesliga (x5), DFB-Pokal (x5), UEFA Champions League (1997), Cup Winners’ Cup (1966)
• Nickname: Die Schwarzgelben (The Black and Yellows) / Der BVB (The BVB)
• Last season: 2^nd
• Borussia Dortmund title odds: +450

Key player

As with Bayern, there’s just too much choice, but American dream Giovanni Reyna is gaining traction nicely. Most recently, he hit a career-best seven goals for Der BVB in 2022/23.

While that’s obviously not earth-shattering, the fact that five of those came from the subs bench shows just what an impact he can make when all seems lost.

Reyna also has three more years of growth before the 2026 World Cup on home soil. While he will very likely have moved on by then, the sky’s surely the limit for the USMNT star.

Predicted finish: 2^nd

After such an epic title fail, it’s hard to see Dortmund getting that close again for a while. They’re a lock for the top four though, no doubt about it.

And on paper they look to have the perfect springboard. Day one sees Dortmund host Cologne, who they trounced 6-1 in last season’s corresponding fixture just four months ago:

Frankfurt

By their standards, Eintracht Frankfurt suffered a hangover after clinching the 2022 Europa League trophy on penalties. The ensuing Champions League campaign thus marked a new high for the club.

But as was the case with Cologne in 2022/23, Frankfurt struggled to fight on two fronts. Consequently, the Eagles ended up settling for a Europa Conference League berth via seventh place.

Club info

• Founded: 1899
• Stadium: Deutsche Bank Park
  • Capacity: 51,500
• Notable honors: German Championship (1959), DFB-Pokal (x5), Europa League (2022), UEFA Cup (1980)
• Nickname: Die Adler (The Eagles)
• Last season: 7^th
• Frankfurt title odds: +8,000

Key player

By plundering 15 Bundesliga goals last term, Randal Kolo Muani was just one short of equaling the two leading guns, namely Niclas Füllkrug and recent Chelsea acquisition Christopher Nkunku.

He’s a machine for sure, though a tally of nine joint-goal participations alongside Daichi Kamada – including one in each of the closing three Bundesliga rounds – speaks volumes.

Predicted finish: 5^th

A two-place improvement on 2022/23 seems reasonable as things stand, provided that Muani stays. However, Frankfurt will seek more than mere top-four periphery in the long term.

And although they were the top scorers amongst those finishing outside the podium places, the fact that Frankfurt had the worst defense in the top-eight provides a very obvious area for improvement in the summer transfer window.

Freiburg

Freiburg did their work quietly last term, but they looked every inch like contenders for that coveted fourth place. While they would be pipped by fellow surprise package Union Berlin, their aptitude from set pieces was nothing short of scary at times.

A Europa League berth was the very least their endeavors deserved, and more of the same is expected if the traditional giants of German soccer fail to lure any of Christian Streich’s main aces.

Club info

• Founded: 1904
• Stadium: Europa-Park Stadion
  • Capacity: 34,700
• Notable honors: Bundesliga (x4)
• Nickname: Breisgau Brazilians
• Last season: 5^th
• Freiburg title odds: +15,000

Key player

Freiburg undoubtedly did some great business last summer, following the departure of defender Nico Schlotterbeck to Dortmund for 20m euros. Passing him at the front door, incoming free transfer Matthias Ginter was his direct replacement, and the rest is history.

In addition to netting five goals, he also ranked third overall in terms of average ratings amongst the Freiburg team, while additionally averaging an outstanding 4.4 clearances per game.

Obviously though, an honorable mention must go to dead ball king Vincenzo Grifo, who topped the penalty charts last term.

Predicted finish: 7^th

With no massive egos in the Freiburg dressing room, expect another top-half finish. Yet, Grifo’s expertise from set pieces can only get them so far, especially if fatigue from a European campaign takes hold.

In that event, open-play chances could only come at a higher premium. So unless Streich continues improving the depth of his resources, another top-four tilt is questionable.

All key players featured were on the active roster at their respective clubs as of July 3, 2023.