Bundesliga 2019/20: 5 possible attacking combinations for Borussia Dortmund
As Lucien Favre enjoyed a successful first season with Borussia Dortmund, the club will be looking to build on the foundation developed by the Swiss tactician as they eye domestic glory.
After the exhilarating highs of back-to-back Bundesliga titles and a domestic double under Jurgen Klopp, Die Borussen have been largely second best to Bayern Munich.
The Bavarians have dominated the German top-flight and sealed a record-breaking seventh consecutive league title in 2019, a staggering testament to their era of dominance.
Managers have come and gone, players have deserted them in favour of European giants as the club only have one DfB Pokal to show for their struggles since 2012, a disappointing return for a club of their stature.
The likes of Thomas Tuchel, Peter Bosz and Peter Stoger have all taken over the reins rather unsuccessfully since Klopp's departure in 2015 but the long-term stability that they craved for finally arrived in the summer of 2018.
Lucien Favre, previously on the books of Borussia Monchengladbach, was tasked with restoring Dortmund among Europe's elite and his first season at the club will go down as an unwavering success despite going trophy-less.
The 61-year-old arrived with a reputation of "fixing" teams and he did so whilst imprinting an impressive brand of attacking football.
Favre's young Dortmund side defied all expectations and gave Bayern a run for their money as the race to be crowned Kings of Germany was decided on the final match-day of the season.
Although the German champions sealed yet another domestic title by a meagre two-point margin, Dortmund sent out a massive statement of intent in their first season under their new boss.
The likes of Thorgan Hazard, Julian Brandt, Mats Hummels, Mateu Morey and Nico Schulz have all joined the club this summer and Borussia Dortmund are ready to set sail once again in pursuit of Bayern's throne.
After coming within touching distance of regaining the Bundesliga title from Bayern Munich's grasp, Dortmund have attempted to set things right in the transfer market as they look set to mount another title challenge.
With the forthcoming season of the Bundesliga around the corner, let's look at how the Black and Yellows could line-up as they look to end Bayern Munich's domestic dominance.
#1 - The tried and tested 4-2-3-1
Lucien Favre's footballing philosophy derives from the fact that his teams play attacking football whilst maintaining a good shape, leaving opponents struggling to break down his well-organized sides.
The Swiss tactician implemented a 4-2-3-1 for a vast majority of last season and it worked like a charm as Dortmund created an identity for themselves once again.
With Axel Witsel and Thomas Delaney occupying a double-pivot role in the centre of the park, the likes of Jadon Sancho, Paco Alcacer and Marco Reus have the freedom to express themselves in the final third without inhibiting their natural flair.
Favre will likely continue to implement a similar system this time around, albeit with a subtle change.
Julian Brandt's arrival could prove to be a game-changer as his ability to operate as an interior No.8 allows him to act as the link between the midfield and the attack, a role that happens to suit his characteristics perfectly as we saw during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.