Can Borussia Dortmund put an end to Bayern's domestic dominance this season

Football is a cruel game. Even after proving the critiques wrong season after season and challenging Bayern for Bundesliga title as well as Champions league, the song remains the same. Last year they lost Mario Gotze to Bayern, this year it is the Polish goal machine Robert Lewandowski & that too for free.

Going into the 2014/15 campaign, Coach Jürgen Klopp will have the task cut out to redefine their attack with Lewandowski following in Götze’s steps by moving to FC Bayern. Last season, BVB responded with signing box-to-box maestro Mkhitaryan and speed merchant Aubameyang. Similarly, Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc has signed up Hertha Berlin’s Adrian Ramos, Ji Dong-Won from FC Augsburg and Ciro Immobile to replace the striker. But it will be a tough act to follow into the footsteps of a player who scored 100+ goals over the last 3 years and remained the league’s top 3 scorer in all 3 seasons. But every season they have to do damage control instead of building on previous gains.

During summer, BVB and FCB attacked each other with a "scandalous" anti-BVB song by Schweinsteiger going viral, followed by an apology and then an offer of singing lessons from Borussia Dortmund. But on field, BVB are relying heavily on team coach Juergen Klopp to keep challenging their Hollywood Munich rivals. Attempts to get Marco Reus to forgo a clause in his contract, in exchange for huge salary look futile. While Mats Hummels is one of the prime target for major European moneybags. Keeping such important players in the squad is what will keep Klopp’s infamous smile growing even wider.

Looking at BVB’s squad, with summer transfers of Matthias Ginter and Sahin, who has re-joined the club after last season on loan with Real Madrid as well as Injury returnees Gundogan, Subotic and Sven Bender it will be like blockbuster signings for Dortmund. Sebastian Kehl and Weindenfeller will provide the needed experience to the team. While maintaining the core of Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, Blaszczykowski, Piszczek, Grosskreutz and Schmelzer is equally important.

Talking of the 2013-14 season, despite an injury-ravaged campaign for the yellow and black, they actually finished closer to Bayern in the Bundesliga standings than the season before. It was a slight improvement from the 25-point gap in the 2012-13 campaign but they were still a massive 19 points behind the champions. With the lost of midfield maestro Toni Kroos and an unnerved Guardiola, that margin should be cut even more this season. BVB faces the old challenges in this new dawn to realign and march on against FC Bayern.
Dortmund again have four trophies to challenge for. Klopp arguably has a better squad compared to the last season. He has two or three players covering for each position. The majority, including, are once again expecting Bayern to triumph in the quest for Bundesliga glory, yet guaranteed is that Borussia Dortmund will once again be sniffing a lot closer around their coattails, ready to deliver the bite. Yet with a new found depth in this Jurgen Klopp squad, Bavarians will surely be feeling Die Schwarzgelben’s cold breath on their nervous shoulders.