Borussia Dortmund will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday night.
Having failed to secure all three points in their last league outing, both Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach will be eager to get things back on track with a win in this fixture.
The home team are third on the points table with 29 points in their 14 outings. While the Black and Yellows have only suffered one defeat so far this season, they are already nine points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Dortmund have played out three draws in their last five league outings, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against FC Freiburg. Following Jobe Bellingham’s red card, they were lucky to come out with a point in this fixture.
While it was a tough day at the office for them last time out, the team in yellow and black will be looking to bounce back here. Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach are 11th on the table with just 16 points in their 14 league outings.
They were off to a very disappointing start, having failed to win any of their first eight league outing. However, Gladbach have bounced back in some fashion with four wins in their last six outings. But they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg.
Despite being in the second half of the table and heading into this fixture on the back of a defeat, Borussia Monchengladbach will be confident about putting up a strong fight against Borussia Dortmund. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Niko Kovac remains without the services of Aaron Anselmino, Waldemar Anton, and Marcel Sabitzer. Meanwhile, Ramy Bensebaini is away on international duty, while Jobe Bellingham is suspended following his red card last time out.
The home team will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Gregor Kobel will take charge in goal. Niklas Sule will start alongside Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck in the heart of the defence.
Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson will provide significant support to the backline, as the duo are expected to feature as wing-backs. Meanwhile, Pascal Gross should partner with Felix Nmecha in the centre of the park.
Karim Adeyemi and Carney Chukwuemeka could be the two attacking midfielders behind the in-demand Serhou Guirassy, who will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Sule, Can, Schlotterbeck; Ryerson, Gross, Nmecha, Svensson; Adeyemi, Chukwuemeka; Guirassy
Borussia Monchengladbach
The away side will be without the services of Fabio Chiarodia, Marvin Friedrich, Franck Honorat, Jan Urbich, Robin Hack, Tim Kleindienst, and Nathan N’Goumou.
The visitors will also line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Moritz Nicolas will continue in goal. The back three will be made up of Joe Scally, Nico Elvedi, and Kevin Diks.
Jens Castrop and Luca Netz will feature as the wing-backs, while Rocco Reitz will start alongside Yannik Engelhardt in a more central role in midfield. The duo will look to ensure the Borussia Dortmund midfielders do not run the show.
Shuto Machino and Giovanni Reyna are expected to be the two attacking midfielders. Finally, Haris Tabakovic will continue to lead the line for Borussia Monchengladbach against Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Nicolas; Scally, Elvedi, Diks; Castrop, Reitz, Engelhardt, Netz; Machino, Reyna; Tabakovic
Key Stats
- After a winless run of eight games, Borussia Monchengladbach have won four out of their last six Bundesliga outings.
- Borussia Dortmund have only won one out of their last four games across competitions.
- The Black and Yellows have only lost one out of their 14 league games.
- Niko Kovac’s team are unbeaten in 14 out of their last 15 games at home.
- Borussia Monchengladbach have failed to win any of their last five outings against Borussia Dortmund.
Player to Watch
Carney Chukwuemeka
Chukwuemeka has slowly established himself as an important figure at Borussia Dortmund since joining them from Chelsea at the start of 2025. While it was an initial loan move, the transfer was made permanent during the summer transfer window.
He is not yet a regular starter for them, but the 22-year-old has certainly played a few important cameos of late. He has three goal contributions in 696 minutes of first-team action spread across 17 outings. Chukwuemeka will be looking to get on the scoresheet and help his team return to winning ways.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
Borussia Dortmund will back themselves to get back to winning ways at home, especially given their strong record at Signal Iduna Park. Despite recent draws slowing their momentum, Niko Kovac’s side have shown enough consistency this season to suggest they can control large spells of the game and create chances, even with a few key absentees.
Borussia Monchengladbach have shown signs of recovery after a poor start to the campaign and will look to make life difficult for the hosts with a compact setup and quick transitions. However, their injury list and recent struggles against Dortmund may count against them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the Black and Yellows.
