“There are few greater challenges”

VfB Stuttgart take on Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the DFB Cup on Wednesday, having beaten Edin Terzic’s side 2-1 in the Bundesliga only three and a half weeks ago. “BVB have beaten Gladbach at home and Milan away recently,” head coach Sebastian Hoeneß said on Tuesday. “They also took points off Leverkusen for only the second time this season last Sunday. They have a very good squad and know exactly how to handle these types of games. There are few greater challenges than facing Dortmund in this kind of situation. We shouldn’t underestimate them on the back of our Bundesliga meeting.”

Hoeneß and his coaching staff are fine-tuning the perfect game plan for the visit of BVB. “You always have two options,” Hoeneß continued. “Defend high up the pitch to apply pressure and force them to give away possession, or defend deep and tackle them further down the pitch. We’re going to need both options and we’re prepared for that.”

The atmosphere at the MHPArena on Wednesday promises to be very special, as Hoeneß knows only too well. “It’s going to be a special game,” he said. “The stadium is sold out and we’re really looking forward to playing under the lights. It’s a great opportunity to show what we’re capable of.”

Hoeneß can call upon the same players who were involved in Saturday’s game against SV Werder Bremen. Luca Raimund is unavailable after suffering a broken nose but has “already been operated on”, according to the VfB boss.