Bundesliga action on the 6th of February saw Borussia Dortmund face Bayer Leverkusen. It was second versus third as two German heavyweights collided, with 10,000 of the Westfalenstadion faithful in attendance.
But things quickly turned sour for the home side. Intelligent movement of the Leverkusen attackers between the lines saw the Dortmund defence fall apart time and time again. Die Werkself had scored 3 by half time, and ended up winning 5-2 on enemy territory.
This result all but confirmed the end of die Schwarzgelben's title charge, leaving them trailing and flailing behind a seemingly unstoppable Bayern Munich machine at the summit. A wobbly backline is certainly to blame for this situation.
With talisman Mats Hummels injured, Marco Rose relied on a defensive pairing of Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou to keep a sprightly youthful Leverkusen attack in check. Although brilliant on their day, both defenders are prone to dropping an odd clanger. The final scoreline clearly highlighted the need for a defensive upgrade if BVB were serious about reclaiming the Meisterschale anytime soon.
The disappointed Dortmund fans were given a ray of hope the very next day as German international defender Niklas Süle agreed to join the club in the summer. A European champion and 4-time league winner with Bayern Munich, the 6'5" behemoth has been one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga for over half-a-decade now. With Süle's Bayern contract expiring in the summer, Dortmund fought off interest from Chelsea and Newcastle United to agree a 4-year deal for the 37-capped German international.
Borussia Dortmund possess one of the most exciting young attacks in Europe, spearheaded by the imperious Erling Håland. But their leaky defence has held them back from seriously challenging Bayern for the title. The signing of Süle is certainly a move in the right direction. Building a solid foundation around the new signing will allow Rose to grind out results week after week. As Sir Alex Ferguson said, "attack wins you games, defence wins you titles."
The army of passionate BVB fans will cherish the team reaching heights not seen for a decade now at the North-Rhine Westphalia.