BVB: Christian Pulisic and Mario Götze score in the United States – BVB

Pittsburgh / Dortmund .. There was almost no conversation on the luggage belt. By rather small eyes, the professionals of Borussia Dortmund observed the noise at the airport of Dusseldorf. Immediately after Benfica's 5: 6 (2: 2, 2: 0) loss on penalties, they returned from Pittsburgh airport at midnight. Seven hours later, they landed in Dusseldorf – not only a long day in the bones, but also a demanding trip to the United States with three tests and ten training sessions in eight days.

Lucien Favre nevertheless came to a positive conclusion: Overall, my impression is very, very good, it was a pleasant experience. The new BVB coach deliberately used the trip to get a clear picture of his players. And he may have accumulated some ideas.

Christian Pulisic, for example, was the biggest star of American football and not only the star of marketing, but also one of the biggest sports attractions. In the 3-1 win against Liverpool, he scored two goals and scored one. In the 1-0 win against Manchester City, he released the decisive penalty. "It's important for his development that he scores goals, but he also creates opportunities," said Favre. "He is extremely young, he has a huge potential, we are going to work on it."

Mahmoud Dahoud, 22, from Borussia Monchengladbach, came without a doubt, but never really arrived in Dortmund. But Dahoud, whom Favre helped to make his professional debut in Gladbach, is coming this summer as the player BVB picked up a year ago: fast, creative and bulletproof. Favre's way of playing with sharp and precise pbadports comes to meet him.

Dahud is one of the winners up to now – as well as Mario Götze. The 26-year-old has hinted that under Favre he could finally become the indispensable support he has been wanting to be since returning from FC Bayern two years ago. Even if the search for its ideal position continues: Götze offered much more light than shadow and was also dangerous for the purpose: Against Lisbon, he launched both shots with smart pbadports. "It was very positive," said the midfielder. "We notice that the workout is good, that we feel comfortable in the system."

But not all players were able to score. For example, Marwin Hitz, the new goalkeeper, had decided not to participate in the World Cup with Switzerland to position himself in the battle for number 1. The 30-year-old man did his decent basic job but calls Favre's own set-up and combination game also from his goalkeepers. And here the new man has significant deficits: "Of course, it's a big change," he admits. That is why Roman Bürki should first have the advantage.

But the biggest project remains that of the storm: Maximilian Philipp, who is in fact no longer an outside player, does his job well, scoring both goals against Benfica. But what about it? It fails? Alexander Isak, 19, the team's only training center, was unable to impose himself once again. Sweden still lacks physical strength. Here the job is waiting for Favre – and the sports director Michael Zorc, he wants to commit a real scorer.