Borussia Dortmund brought three Germany international centre-backs to Stamford Bridge and, by the end, none of them were playing centre-back. Instead, Marco Reus and Emre Can were. Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck were stationed further upfield, their height deployed as auxiliary centre-backs in a desperate quest for a comeback. Mats Hummels was the busiest unused substitute in the technical areas, part assistant manager, part wannabe fourth official.
Hummels has at least played in bigger Champions League games in London. He and Reus are the survivors of the 2013 final, even if the defender later followed the increasingly familiar trail south to join Bayern Munich. The 10th anniversary of that 2013 final defeat to Bayern falls in May and that, as far as the 21st century Dortmund go, is likely to remain as good as it gets for quite some time. Some 20 months later, Jurgen Klopp was bottom of the Bundesliga; he would gegenpress his way to continental glory but not in black and yellow. The economics dictated otherwise: both with Bayern’s recruitment strategy focusing on weakening their rivals and in the wider European environment where Dortmund’s colossal attendances did not render them one of the super-rich.
