Three games, two wins, one draw – that’s Borussia Dortmund’s balance sheet on the USA tour. After the easy 6-0 win over second division side San Diego Loyal, BVB also achieved two notable results in Las Vegas against Manchester United (3-2) and in Chicago against Chelsea (1-1).
“We put a lot of passion into it,” said coach Edin Terzic after the draw against Chelsea. “And that after we’ve been on the road for ten days now. We improved from game to game. A big compliment for what the boys have invested in the training days and the games. That shows that we are on the right track.”
A few days before the start of the competitive game in the DFB Cup at new regional league team TSV Schott Mainz (August 12), BVB is in good shape. The Black and Yellows are particularly convincing in attack, but there are still weaknesses in defense.
During the ten-day PR trip through the USA, black and yellow winners and losers emerged. SPORT1 shows who impressed in the pre-season and who is still lagging behind.
Winner:
The star additions Ramy Bensebaini and Marcel Sabitzer have integrated seamlessly into the team and are an asset right away. Both professionals received special praise from Terzic.
“Ramy arrived straight away from day one and kept showing up and offering himself in training,” says the BVB coach. “We’re very happy with the way he’s showing up with us.” On the left-hand side of defense, Dortmund seem to have found a suitable replacement for Raphael Guerreiro, who moved to Bayern, in Bensebaini, who came from Gladbach on a free transfer. The Algerian makes a lot of speed up front, hits crosses, is dangerous in front of goal and, above all, collected plus points in the backward movement. That was recently one of the great weaknesses of the offensively oriented Guerreiro.
Sabitzer, who was brought from Munich for around 20 million euros and subsequently traveled to the USA on the second day of training, was a mainstay in BVB midfield in the friendlies. “He did very well and kept moving well. He was playable even without the ball, shifted the sides well and had a good grip in duels. He was really good for our game today,” said Terzic after the Chelsea test.
As a clear winner also works Emre Can from the preparation. The 29-year-old midfield star, who prematurely extended his contract until 2026, has been named the new captain and successor to Marco Reus in the USA. This means that the national player is stronger and comes out of the trip to the USA with a lot of confidence. On the field, he is Terzic’s extended arm and is therefore set in midfield as the sole six.
Also Donyell Paint and Niklas Sule knew how to convince. Malen, who has had some problems since moving from Eindhoven in the summer of 2021, now feels really comfortable, is becoming better and better integrated in the team and exudes the necessary playfulness on the pitch. The Dutchman scored twice against United and is likely to be on one of the two attacking wings alongside Karim Adeyemi.
Süle, who was recently publicly reprimanded by national coach Hansi Flick due to an alleged lack of fitness, returned from vacation very fit for his standards and appeared lively during the USA tour both in training and in the games.
Emre Can builds on his top form from last season
Loser:
Some players turned out to be losers, mainly due to injuries. 30 million access Felix Nmecha was only able to play against Chelsea for around 25 minutes due to a slight muscular problem in his hamstrings and is therefore still behind. A starting eleven for BVB in the Bundesliga opener against Cologne (August 19) is not yet to be expected.
The same applies to Giovanni Reina, who was well received by fans in the States as a US national team player and “local hero”. The 20-year-old midfield talent is still suffering from an unspecified leg injury and is out for the start of the season.
For Nico Schlotterbeck and Thomas Meunier it was also a used trip from a sporting point of view. Schlotterbeck even had to leave early due to a knee injury and is initially out. The international started the season in competition with Mats Hummels and Niklas Süle was left behind.
Meunier’s injury is much more dramatic. The 31-year-old Belgian has flopped so far and should actually be sold in this transfer window (open until September 1st). Due to a serious muscle injury, the ex-PSG star, who actually never backed down in preparation and took the situation seriously, will be out for at least four weeks. A transfer is probably off the table.