Pellegrino Matarazzo on…
…Borussia Dortmund: “BVB have very good offensive players. We’ll need a cohesive performance at the back; it’s going to be demanding defensively. But there will also be moments and spells where we can show our strengths. We’re focusing on that.”
…the match on Saturday: “It is of course always a challenge against Dortmund, particularly in our current situation. I expect an intense game in front of a sold-out stadium. I expect us to fight and be competitive. We’ll give everything to ensure that our performances also translate into results. We’ll approach the game with full power and energy. The match starts at 0-0. It should be clear to everyone that we can win the game on Saturday.”
…the special clashes with BVB: “Dortmund have frequently suited us in the past. The game can of course be a turning point, because not many people will believe in us. Every run ends at some stage – in both directions. We want to seize this opportunity.”
…the role of the experienced players: “”Every player in the squad can offer support and contribute their experience at any point. Everyone plays an important role, whether you play or not. Thomas Delaney can give his input, even if he might be out, as can Grischa Prömel or Sebastian Rudy, even if he hasn’t played the last games. That’s very important for us.”
The personnel situation:
Jacob Bruun Larsen and Grischa Prömel will be joined on the sidelines by Robert Skov, who will however return to partial team training on Sunday. Justin Che will miss out with knee and adductor problems, while there are doubts over Thomas Delaney and Tom Bischof. Kevin Vogt has been back in training since Wednesday and is set to be available on Saturday.
Head-to-head record:
Borussia Dortmund have the better overall record. BVB have 12 victories from the 29 Bundesliga meetings, while TSG have won on seven occasions. But TSG have one more victory (five) than BVB in matches at the PreZero Arena, where there have also been five stalemates.
The opposition’s form:
BVB are in outstanding form and have won all eight of their competitive matches this year. Most recently, BVB got the better of Chelsea in the Champions League (1-0) and beat Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga (4-1). That strong run has carried BVB up to second place in the table, level on points with FC Bayern and Union Berlin.