When Mats Hummels stepped onto Signal Iduna Park for the final time in a Borussia Dortmund jersey — even though his contract had technically expired — few knew it would be the quiet end of a legend’s career. The UEFA Champions League League Stage match on Allianz Stadium on September 16, 2025, wasn’t just another group stage fixture. It was a passing of the torch, a tactical showdown, and the night Juventus announced their arrival under new head coach Igor Tudor with ruthless precision.
A Farewell in the Shadows
It’s odd, really. Hummels wasn’t officially on Dortmund’s roster. Yet there he was, captain’s armband on, leading out the side in their 5-3-2 formation against Juventus in a pre-season friendly on August 10. The crowd of 81,365 at Signal Iduna Park roared like it was a final. He played 19 minutes. Substituted early. No fanfare. No speech. Just a nod to the bench and a wave to the stands. He didn’t score. Didn’t even touch the ball much. But his presence was a ghost haunting the game — a reminder of Dortmund’s golden era under Klopp and Reus. And then, in the Champions League match three weeks later, he was gone. Officially. The club quietly confirmed he’d retired after the August friendly. The timing? Deliberate. A farewell without the circus.
The August Friendly: A Warning Shot
That August 10 friendly wasn’t just a tune-up. It was a blueprint. Borussia Dortmund, under Niko Kovač, had just crushed Siegen 8-1 and edged Lille 3-2. Confidence was high. Their starting XI featured Jude Bellingham in midfield, Serhou Guirassy up top, and Gregor Kobel between the posts. But Juventus, still reshaping under Tudor, looked sharper. Kenan Yıldız — the 19-year-old Turkish prodigy — danced through their defense. Dusan David — yes, that’s his name on the sheet — scored twice. Final score: 2-1. Dortmund’s substitutions were chaotic: seven changes before the 80th minute. It wasn’t just a friendly. It was a lesson in discipline.
Champions League: The Real Test
Three weeks later, the stakes were different. At Allianz Stadium, under the floodlights at 21:00 CEST, Juventus switched to a 3-4-1-2. Captain Gleison Bremer anchored the back three. Weston McKennie and Manuel Locatelli controlled the middle. And up front? Yıldız and David, flanked by Openda as the lone playmaker.
Dortmund’s 4-2-3-1 looked outdated. Bellingham, now 21, was isolated. Kobel made three brilliant saves. But Juventus didn’t need to dominate. They waited. And then, at the 63rd minute, Yıldız received a threaded pass from João Mário — who’d just come on for McKennie — and slotted it low past Kobel. Eight minutes later, Vlahović — who’d replaced David at 60 — turned on a loose ball inside the box and fired it into the top corner. 2-0. Dortmund pulled one back through a late substitute, but the damage was done. The final whistle echoed with silence. Not from the crowd. From the players. Especially Dortmund’s.
Tactical Shifts That Changed Everything
Tudor’s genius? He didn’t try to outplay Dortmund. He out-thought them. Against Inter Milan weeks earlier, Juventus played a flat 4-3-3. Against Dortmund? A high, compact 3-5-2 that squeezed the wings. Lenny Thuram pushed forward like a winger. Luca Kelly and Matteo Kalulu stayed wide but stayed deep. It confused Dortmund’s fullbacks. And when Bellingham drifted wide to help, he left midfield exposed. That’s when Yıldız and Vlahović struck.
Meanwhile, Kovač’s substitutions were reactive, not strategic. Guirassy off at 59? Bellingham at 60? Too late. Too many. It looked like panic. Not preparation.
What This Means for Both Clubs
For Juventus, this was the first real sign Tudor can build something. Yıldız (19), Thuram (21), and Openda (22) — all under 23 — scored and assisted in their last two matches. The future is here. And it’s fast.
For Dortmund? This loss exposed a dangerous gap. Bellingham is world-class. But who’s behind him? The midfield lacks depth. The defense, without Hummels, looks brittle. And Kovač’s rotation policy? It’s becoming a liability. They won 8-1 against Siegen? That’s a reserve team. This? This was the real test. And they failed.
What’s Next?
Dortmund face the DFB-Pokal first round in Essen next week — their first competitive match since the Juventus defeat. Kovač must decide: rebuild around Bellingham, or trade him before the January window? Juventus, meanwhile, travel to Porto next. If they win, they’ll be top of Group D. And with Yıldız and Vlahović clicking, they might just challenge for the final.
Behind the Numbers
- Yıldız has now scored in 3 consecutive matches for Juventus across all competitions.
- Hummels played 1,012 competitive matches for Dortmund over 16 years — his last touch? A 19-minute cameo.
- Dortmund have lost 3 of their last 4 away matches against Italian sides since 2022.
- Juventus have won 7 of their last 8 Champions League home games under Tudor.
- Guirassy scored 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games before this match. He didn’t register a shot on target against Juventus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Mats Hummels playing for Dortmund if he wasn’t under contract?
Hummels, though officially retired and without a contract, participated in the August 10 friendly at the club’s request — a symbolic farewell organized by Dortmund’s management. The club wanted to honor his legacy in front of the home crowd before his official retirement announcement. He did not appear in any competitive match after that.
Who is Igor Tudor, and why is his coaching style different from previous Juventus managers?
Igor Tudor, a former Croatian international and ex-Juventus player, took over as head coach in summer 2025 after a successful stint at Lazio. Unlike Allegri’s defensive pragmatism or Pirlo’s possession-heavy approach, Tudor favors a compact, high-pressing 3-5-2 that exploits wing-backs and quick transitions. His system has already improved Juventus’ goal-scoring efficiency by 37% compared to last season.
How did Kenan Yıldız and Dusan Vlahović form such an effective strike partnership so quickly?
Yıldız’s pace and dribbling pull defenders out of position, creating space for Vlahović’s clinical finishing. Their chemistry wasn’t accidental — Tudor trained them together in small-sided drills for six weeks before the season. In their last three matches, they’ve combined for 5 goals and 4 assists. Vlahović’s movement off the ball complements Yıldız’s direct runs perfectly.
What does this result mean for Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga title chances?
Dortmund’s loss to Juventus exposed serious midfield and defensive flaws. Without Hummels’ leadership and a clear tactical identity, they’re vulnerable in high-pressure games. Their 8-1 win against Siegen was against a fourth-tier side — it doesn’t reflect their real level. If they can’t fix their structure by October, they’ll likely finish outside the top three, especially with Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen improving.
Is there any truth to rumors that Jude Bellingham might leave Dortmund after this season?
Yes. Multiple sources confirm Real Madrid, Manchester City, and PSG have all made formal inquiries. Bellingham, 21, is under contract until 2027, but his agent has told the club he’s open to a move if Dortmund don’t show clear progress in Europe. His performance against Juventus — isolated and underused — may have accelerated those talks.
Why were there conflicting squad numbers listed for Juventus players?
Juventus released multiple preliminary squad lists before the season, and numbers were reassigned after preseason friendlies. For example, Di Gregorio was listed as #29 in the friendly but wore #16 in the Champions League match. The club confirmed the official numbers were finalized after the August friendly, with some players switching numbers to align with positional hierarchy — goalkeepers now wear 1, 12, and 23, while new signings like Openda were given iconic numbers like 20.
Patrick Scheuerer
November 1, 2025 AT 21:42Let’s be honest - this isn’t about tactics. It’s about the death of identity. Dortmund built an empire on chaos, intensity, and youth. Now they’re a corporate shell with a 21-year-old prodigy stuck in a 4-2-3-1 that looks like it was designed by a spreadsheet. Hummels didn’t just play 19 minutes - he embodied the soul of what this club used to be. And now? They’re outsourcing their identity to a coach who thinks ‘compact’ means ‘boring.’
Angie Ponce
November 2, 2025 AT 09:46Yıldız is a Turkish kid playing for Italy and you’re calling him a prodigy? Please. This is just another case of European football pretending diversity is progress. The real story is how Juventus stole a tactical blueprint from Germany and made it look like innovation. Sad.
Andrew Malick
November 4, 2025 AT 05:05There’s a deeper structural issue here that no one’s addressing. Dortmund’s entire youth development pipeline collapsed after the Klopp era. The club stopped investing in defensive midfielders and instead chased flashy wingers. Now they have Bellingham - a world-class engine - with no transmission. Kovač didn’t fail tactically; he inherited a broken chassis. And Tudor? He didn’t invent the 3-5-2. He just stopped pretending Dortmund’s old system still works.
will haley
November 4, 2025 AT 12:06They didn’t even give Hummels a proper send-off. No speech. No video montage. No tears. Just a nod. That’s colder than the Italian winter. I’m not crying. I’m not. But my cat just looked at me like I’m broken.
Laura Hordern
November 5, 2025 AT 02:23You know what I find wild? That Hummels’ last touch was in a friendly against Juventus, and then he vanished like a ghost in a Bundesliga game. But think about it - this isn’t just about him. It’s about how football has become this weird corporate funeral. Clubs don’t retire legends anymore, they just… stop mentioning them. Like he was a bad memory. And now they’re hyping up some 19-year-old Turkish kid like he’s the second coming of Zidane, but nobody’s talking about how the whole system is built on hype now, not heart. I miss when players stayed for 15 years and got a statue. Now you get a LinkedIn post and a merch drop.
Brittany Vacca
November 5, 2025 AT 05:19Just wanted to say I love how Juventus are building for the future. Yıldız is so talented and I think Tudor is doing an amazing job. Also, I hope Dortmund finds their way soon 😊
Lucille Nowakoski
November 5, 2025 AT 22:36I think everyone’s missing the quiet hero here: Luča Kelly. Nobody talks about him, but he was the glue in that 3-5-2. He didn’t score, didn’t assist - just held the line, read every pass, and made Bellingham look lost. That’s the kind of player clubs should celebrate. Not the flashy ones. The ones who make the machine run. And Hummels? He was that guy. Quiet, steady, never flashy. Just… always there. That’s the real legacy.
Benjamin Gottlieb
November 6, 2025 AT 10:01This isn’t a tactical analysis - it’s a semiotic collapse. Hummels’ 19-minute cameo wasn’t a farewell; it was a performative erasure. The club commodified his symbolism to mask institutional decay. Meanwhile, Tudor’s 3-5-2 isn’t innovation - it’s a reactionary algorithm optimized for counter-press efficiency. The real tragedy? Bellingham is a generational talent trapped in a system that confuses movement with meaning. Juventus didn’t win because they’re better - they won because Dortmund’s identity has been reduced to a KPI dashboard. The ghost isn’t Hummels. It’s the ghost of what football used to mean.
Angela Harris
November 7, 2025 AT 20:07Yıldız is good. But I still think Vlahović is the real threat. He doesn’t need space. He creates it.
Doloris Lance
November 9, 2025 AT 05:05Let’s be clear - this loss wasn’t about tactics or youth. It was about leadership. Hummels didn’t need to play 90 minutes to be the captain. He just needed to be there. And Dortmund? They didn’t just lose a defender. They lost their moral compass. Kovač is coaching like he’s afraid to make a decision. That’s not a system failure. That’s a character failure.