Borussia Dortmund have been spared the biggest embarrassment: After Hannover's late rally to come from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Freiburg, BVB go into the winter break not propping up the table but 'only' second from bottom. After a scrappy and disappointing first half of the season, the sporting situation has still not really improved.

The 2014 Bundesliga runners-up who are in the last 16 of this season's UEFA Champions League competition find themselves in a relegation dogfight. And BVB are right in the thick of it. 15 points from 17 matches are a horrific total, no team has amassed fewer points so far. “The fear of relegation is definitely there – and it's pretty big right now,” said captain Mats Hummels after the 2-1 defeat to Werder Bremen.

Borussia lost their way against Bremen almost from the kick-off. After just three minutes 18-year-old Davie Selke shocked the visitors with a deft flick. This was the third time that BVB had conceded a goal in the first five minutes of play, more than any other team in the league. The home side doubled their lead after another series of errors: Hummels was left standing and neither Piszczek nor Ginter in the middle were able to stop Werder's Bartels (62).

image
Mats Hummels scored against Bremen, but was also involved in both of Werder’s goals.

“The way we're playing, we deserve to be right at the bottom of the table. We have to be honest about that. We've just played one of the worst first halves of the season imaginable,” said Mats Hummels, who in the 69th minute pulled a goal back with a header from a Gündogan corner to make the score 2-1. “The whole season so far has not been easy for us, we've never been able to play to our full potential on a consistent basis. The performance in Bremen epitomises our season,” explained Matthias Ginter.

For BVB to find themselves in the relegation zone going into the winter break is a new experience: it's the first time it's happened in 30 years. There has never been a stronger team of players to lie in 17th place with a side that on paper really should be in the top three.

2,045 kilometres, 289 shots, 117 corners

In the first half of the season BVB managed 289 shots (131 more than their opponents) and 117 corners (versus 51 for the opposition), leading to 107 scoring chances. An average ball possession of 52 percent puts BVB second only to Bayern Munich. In terms of commitment Borussia is as good as anyone out there: the team have covered 2,045 km on the pitch, which makes an average of 120.3 km per game, which is 1.6 km more than their opponents. On an individual level on the other hand, seven of the Werder players covered more distance than their BVB counterparts. “I don't think that attitude and passion are the problem,” said Mats Hummels.

So what exactly is the problem? There are “many reasons” for the horrific first half of the season, according to Klopp. For one there is the lack of concentration straight after kick-off (see above). The injury crisis has also played a role. Hummels said, “Almost all our regular first-team players have been out injured at some point so far this season. No one has been able to give 100 percent. I too am hoping that I'll be able to play pain-free for the first time since the World Cup soon.”

Weakness in front of goal is the biggest shortcoming

One of the reasons why the team finds itself in 17th position, in addition to their poor away form (only 4 points), is surely also their weakness in front of goal. Only 1 in 16 chances have been converted. Or to put it another way: Out of 107 scoring chances only 18 goals have been scored (an average of 1.06 per game), which is a ratio of 16.8 percent. This is all the more disconcerting when you compare it to a scoring ratio of 32.9 percent for their opponents, where 1 in 6 chances led to goals.

From set plays BVB is also one of the weakest teams in the Bundesliga. Hummels' goal against Bremen was the first goal scored from a set piece situation since the fifth match of the season. The Black and Yellows haven't scored from a corner since the second match.

“All the criticism being directed against us is fully justified. The fact that we're standing here like idiots serves us right,” said Jürgen Klopp, who faces a far from easy task in the team's preparations for the second half of the season on 6 January (and from 10 January at their winter training camp in La Manga). He said: “We'd love to have been in a better position to start off the second half of the season, but things are as they are. We've all damaged our reputations. But it's not all over yet. So far we've lacked stability. We'll get it back. And then we'll be far tougher to beat, and then we'll start winning again. We'll put everything into the catch-up race.”

“...then we'll show a different side”

Mats Hummels is also optimistic despite the miserable season so far: “If we get everyone fit again in the winter break and are able to put forward our strongest line-up at the end of January, then we'll show a different side to ourselves.”

The first match on 31 January 2015 promises to be a cracker: It's against 3rd in the table Bayer Leverkusen.