Dortmund eager to prove they are not a fluke story

Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund embark on their third consecutive European campaign on Wednesday at Napoli fully aware they are no longer dark horses in the competition.

Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund embark on their third consecutive European campaign on Wednesday at Napoli fully aware they are no longer dark horses in the competition.

Just 116 days after losing to Bayern Munich, Germany’s Dortmund are at Italian league leaders Napoli aiming to prove their run to the final was no fluke. Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund are top of the Bundesliga, two points clear of Bayern, after winning their opening five matches and ran riot at home with a 6-2 drubbing of Hamburg on Saturday.

Borussia went into last season’s campaign as something of an unknown quantity before posting wins over Real Madrid, Ajax and Manchester City, but are one of the favourites this time around. “It will certainly be more difficult than it was last season,” admitted Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.