Can Axel Witsel help Borussia Dortmund finally overtake Bayern?

Borussia Dortmund spent big on Axel Witsel this summer. Can he help the club finally surpass Bayern at the top of the Bundesliga. 

Axel Witsel loves to assert his dominance in the midfield. He’s a driving force for his team, whether that be the Belgian national team, Zenit St. Petersburg, Benfica, Tianjin Quanjian or his new employers, Borussia Dortmund.

He’s precisely the type of player Dortmund have been lacking in recent years: a physical presence in the middle of the pitch who isn’t afraid of doing the dirty work. Witsel will face up against anyone without hesitation and is an absolute terror for smaller players to get around.

Much more than just a physical player, though, Witsel also provides BVB with another skilled passer, joining the creative Mario Gotze, as well as Julian Weigl, Shinji Kagawa, Mahmoud Dahoud, and newcomer Thomas Delaney.

Witsel is extremely versatile and can comfortably play any position in midfield. This gives first-year Dortmund manager Lucien Favre plenty of options when planning his lineup. A solid defender and intelligent distributor of the ball, Witsel is as close to being a “complete midfielder” as it gets.

Perhaps the most valuable asset Axel Witsel brings with him to the Westfalenstadion is his winning mentality. He has won titles in three European leagues and knows precisely what efforts must be taken in order to win.

While lifting silverware may be an exercise Witsel is familiar with, the same can’t be said for the once-mighty Borussia Dortmund over the previous six seasons. Die Schwarzgelben have managed to secure only a single trophy (2016-17 DFB-Pokal) since winning the league double in 2011-12.

This is likely the reason BVB have been so aggressive in the transfer market this summer. While CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke repeatedly claims Dortmund aren’t on Bayern’s level, to take such statements as an accurate depiction of the club’s true assessment of itself would be extremely naive.

Borussia Dortmund want to compete for the Bundesliga crown. Furthermore, the club want to prove they can achieve long-term success in the post-Jurgen Klopp era. That’s something Thomas Tuchel seemed capable of, but, due to his short tenure as manager, we’ll never fully know.

This is why players such as “the motor,” Axel Witsel, (as he was so affectionately nicknamed by Ruhrnachrichten producer Tobias Johren) have been brought into the squad for the upcoming season. For Dortmund, it isn’t so much a rebuild as a serious change in mentality.

It’s been a while since the BVB players considered themselves competition for Bayern Munich. A player with the attitude and demeanor of Witsel is crucial when beginning the process of shifting a team’s overall view of itself. This is why he is the most important signing for Dortmund in this window.

Witsel’s competitiveness and drive will be infectious. He will elevate the play of those around him, making him an invaluable member of the first team. BVB no doubt have an array of talented players. No one’s disputing that.

What those players lack however, is the killer instinct Bayern Munich have in droves. They have a mental edge over almost all of their opponents with the exception of a select few. Moreover, they are always fully prepared to crush whoever stands opposite of them on the field.

This was on display back in March when Dortmund were destroyed by Bayern 6-0 at the Allianz Arena. It’s inexcusable for a top-four side to lose to another top four side by such a scoreline.

The days of a shoulder-shrugging Julian Weigl and clueless Nuri Sahin are numbered. Players who lack the required awareness and mental toughness to help Dortmund achieve their goals such as the much-maligned Marcel Schmelzer will soon become an afterthought.

What Watkze and BVB Sporting Director Michael Zorc got by acquiring Axel Witsel is an impact player. His influence on the squad will be immediately felt. You save the best for last, or so the saying goes.

For Borussia Dortmund, their last transfer of 2018 might just be the crucial piece of the puzzle that can help them finally get over the Bayern hump after years of frustration, and one which they have been missing for quite some time.