体坛英语资讯：Germanys rising power is an old favorite_娱乐

体坛英语资讯：Germanys rising power is an old favorite

BERLIN, Oct. 2 -- Some of the comments seem exaggerated. Regarding last weekend as a turning point in German club football is a bit over the top. But the praise heaped on Borussia Dortmund shows how desperate fans have become waiting for a club strong enough to challenge Bayern Munich. Many feel the Blacks and Yellows could be a realistic challenger for the league title.

Dortmund yet has to prove its staying power over the entire season and there is still a long way to go before they can be considered a serious rival for Bayern. The club also needs to make up for poor performances in international competitions in the past years. But in advance of their second Champions League Group A match against AS Monaco, things are looking rosier.

The reason for the exuberance is all the great lies hundreds of miles away in Munich as Bayern have dominated the national scene for so long and caused a certain amount of boredom. While they were winning six league titles in succession, Dortmund suffered a downturn.

Only in the three years between 2011 and 2013 was Borussia strong enough to be a serious threat to normally superior rival by winning the German title and reaching the 2013 Champions League final. Two German Championships in 2011 and the double in 2017 tell the story aside the club's successful years in 1995 and 1996.

Now German fans are celebrating the champions of the past like a newly emerging star.

Former Dortmund and Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said he wouldn't be surprised if Dortmund had regained the strength to win the league championship this season. The seven-time German champion and 1997 and 2001 Champions League winner spoke about the possible birth of a new and determined team when Dortmund went top of the Bundesliga after the sixth round of matches after beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 last weekend.