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Why Dortmund Face a Strict Structural Test Despite Their Flawless Opening Run

A flawless start to a campaign can disguise structural vulnerabilities until squad depth gets tested all at once. Borussia Dortmund enter Friday's encounter at Signal Iduna Park at the summit of the Bundesliga, having collected 12 points from four matches.

Yet maintaining that perch presents an immediate tactical test against eighth-placed SV Werder Bremen, particularly as backline absences intersect with a congested seven-game October schedule across three separate competitions.

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It has been 11 years since Dortmund last began a league campaign with four straight victories. That sequence puts them within reach of matching their club benchmarks from 2013–14 and 2015–16.

Manager Niko Kovač has urged perspective, stressing that four fixtures represent merely a snapshot. Managing physical readiness after the international break stands as Kovač's primary focus as his team seeks to recover competitive rhythm.

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Five senior contributors are currently unavailable to Dortmund, tilting the selection dynamic heavily toward fringe options. Nico Schlotterbeck and Julian Ryerson picked up injuries during national team duty, joining Emre Can, Filippo Mané, and Justin Lerma on the sidelines.

Bremen have fitness concerns of their own, with attacker Justin Njinmah managing a thigh issue and defender Moussa N'Diaye absent with a groin injury, but Dortmund's cluster of defensive absences leaves them unusually lean in core positions.

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Niclas Füllkrug arrives on a three-match scoring run in the Bundesliga, having rejoined Bremen on loan from West Ham United following his stint in Dortmund during 2023–24. His presence provides the visitors with reliable forward leverage, complemented by Marco Grüll and Mitchell Weiser after all three scored in a 3–2 victory against Augsburg.

What these numbers add up to is a contest where historical margins meet present instability. Dortmund hold the historical upper hand, having won seven of the last 10 league meetings with Bremen while sustaining an unbeaten Friday night Bundesliga record stretching past two decades.

However, with European obligations against Bodø/Glimt and Sabah approaching, alongside an upcoming DFB-Pokal rematch with Bremen later this month, Dortmund's thinned lineup faces an exacting assessment to preserve their table-topping momentum.

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