Dude, what do you think of Dortmund next season? They lost in the final round this season and that should make their motivation even greater to avenge their failure. They have lost twice in the final, the first time against Bayern Munich and the last time against Real Madrid. Their efforts were very good to reach the final but their luck was less fortunate when they had to face a prestigious team full of history in the Champions League.
They will end up like Inter, they were able to reach final in the last season, but they lose in round of 16. Dortmund and Inter are both of teams that very lucky can enter to final in Champions League, so don't expect anything in the next season.
Next season will be interesting since Leverkusen and Bologna are joining the race.
I agree and it feels very difficult to repeat the same luck. Dortmund has indeed struggled very well this season but of course luck is also an important factor in the team's success. Moreover, being able to reach the final round was never even imagined for them before. So as you said, Dortmund will find it difficult to compete next season.
The arrival of new teams will definitely make the competition more difficult to predict and sometimes these new arrivals can provide unexpected surprises. Leverkusen and Bologna could have reached at least the round of 16 but it feels like if they advance to the semifinals or final they will need more luck and because of that I think luck is the key to everything that happens in this competition apart from the hard work they put in.