The top game of Matchday 14 is taking place in Dortmund: Rasenballsport Leipzig will be the visitors to SIGNAL IDUNA PARK at 18:30 CET on Saturday.
The match on Saturday evening is between the teams in fourth and fifth. Borussia Dortmund currently occupy fifth spot in the table with 25 points. Leipzig are a point ahead in fourth position. While the Saxony side exited the DFB-Pokal in the second round and were therefore not in action during the week, BVB had to make the trip to VfB Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 on Tuesday evening and lost by a 2-0 scoreline. “It was an extremely disappointing evening, both in terms of the performance and the result as well as the four injuries,” reflected Terzic.
Julian Ryerson (knee), Youssoufa Moukoko (thigh), Marius Wolf (ankle) and Marcel Sabitzer (calf) had to be substituted in Stuttgart. Ryerson and Moukoko are set for longer spells on the sidelines, while “Saturday will be tight” for Marius Wolf. However, there are high hopes that Sabitzer will make an appearance against Leipzig. (Read the detailed personnel report.) With Moukoko joined in the treatment room by fellow striker Sébastien Haller, who has a knee injury, U19 forward and Junior World Cup winner Paris Brunner is training with the first team and is set to be included in the Bundesliga squad for the first time on Saturday.
Thomas Meunier is also in with a chance of playing due to the personnel shortages in the full-back position. The right-back sustained an injury in the summer but has been back in team training since November. “He has done outstandingly well in training in recent weeks. We’re in a situation whereby we have lost a lot of players in the space of a few days. Now is the time where Thomas will definitely get his chance,” said Terzic, who immediately analysed the cup tie with his team following their return from Stuttgart.
“Our task now is to perform better as quickly as possible. That means the game against Leipzig,” said the coach. “There are still four games left this year that we can win, and we will try to do that.”
Christina Reinke
BVB TV by 1&1: The press conference prior to the match against Leipzig