Defending: It's a risky business

In their current Bundesliga position – 17th in case you had forgotten – it doesn't seem the time for Borussia Dortmund to take risks. Jürgen Klopp's side have been taking far too many of those this season, and with little positivity. That must change if BVB are to climb the table – and it starts in defense.

Five days into December of last year, Dortmund secured a 1-0 home win against Hoffenheim. A turning point it wasn't, but the play of Mats Hummels highlighted the fine margin that Dortmund, in most of their other games this season, found themselves on the wrong side of.

Back after three weeks of injury and a World Cup campaign where he clearly wasn't 100 percent, Hummels captained the side in the matchday opener on Friday night. As expected, the dashing defender was keen to make an impression and displayed perfectly the risky nature of aggressive defending.

Hummels consistently broke out of the back four, sought challenges and looked to make interceptions in order to nullify Hoffenheim's counterattack before it started. In 90 percent of the cases, he was successful – executing a brilliant tackle or showing bullish strength.

However, when Hummels was roaming around the field displaying his finest technique, he left a large gap behind him that transitionally strong sides – such as Hoffenheim – are very capable of exposing. Their current spot in the table proves that too many sides already have.

In this game though, they didn't. When Hummels was aggressive, his teammates responded. Spurred on by the heroics of their captain, Neven Subotic, Lukas Piszczek and Marcel Schmelzer all tucked in so as to remove the gap while the rest of the team pressed like the Dortmund of old. Hummels' performance set the tone as Dortmund managed to keep their defensive structure and concentration for the majority of the ninety minutes. Apart from the blatant penalty that Subotic gave away at the end (that was never given) of course.

When Hummels isn't on song/fit, Dortmund struggle. Matthias Ginter and Neven Subotic were caught the wrong side when Frankfurt's Alex Meier sneaked in to score in Dortmund's 2-0 defeat in the Commerzbank Arena this season. The entire backline was scattered in alarming fashion when Julian Schieber broke to score Hertha's winner, and as for the amount of space Joel Matip was afforded for Schalke's opener back on matchday six...

Hummels' risk rate is high and not always successful, but when he's in form, he's brilliant. The issue for Dortmund is whether or not they can afford to take that chance right now.

If you can't avoid one-on-one situations, then win them. If you can't win them, then hope your defense reacts quickly enough. So far this season, Dortmund haven't been able to avoid them, haven't been successful enough when handling them and have failed to react quickly enough. All of that has to change from matchday 18 onwards, and it starts with Mats Hummels.