Borussia Dortmund still have the small task of fortifying second spot as they visit mid-table battlers and rivals Borussia Monchengladbach.
Borussia Monchengladbach head into this fixture following a scoreless draw against fellow strugglers Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena, where holding midfielder Jens Castrop received his marching orders in second-half stoppage time.
That outcome leaves Gladbach without a victory in their previous five outings in the Bundesliga since they beat St. Pauli 2-0 ahead of the March international break. There is nothing left to play for as far as Europe is concerned, and while they are in a safe position from the relegation zone, a few more losses could drag them closer to the danger zone.
Niko Kovac is in a much better position to continue as Borussia Dortmund manager moving forward, and there is only a small matter of confirming second spot. While they are five points clear of nearest rivals RB Leipzig, the manager would prefer to win and inch closer to closing down second spot.
Borussia Dortmund recently thrashed SC Freiburg at Westfalenstadion 4-0, with goals coming from Maximilian Beier, Serhou Guirassy, Ramy Bensebaini and Fabio Silva. Dortmund had suffered consecutive defeats before that win, but they are poised to finish second in the Bundesliga this season.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Monchengladbach
Eugene Polanski will have a few issues in the squad to deal with, as five players could miss out for this key encounter with rivals Borussia Dortmund. Tiago Pereira Cardoso is out due to an illness, and Jens Castrop is suspended for the remaining three games left in the season. There are further absentees in Nathan Ngomou, Tim Kleindienst and Jan Urbich, with the trio likely to miss out completely.
Polanski will continue to prefer a back three, with Philipp Sander, Nico Elvedi, and Kevin Diks the preferred centre-backs for Monchengladbach, while Joe Scally and Lukas Ullrich are the wing-backs in the side.
As for the midfield unit, Yannik Engelhardt and Rocco Reitz will feature in the double pivot, while Kevin Stoger and Franck Honorat take up the advanced roles further ahead. Finally, Haris Tabakovic will lead the line for Borussia Monchengladbach against Borussia Dortmund this weeeknd.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Nicolas; Sander, Elvedi, Diks; Scally, Engelhardt, Reitz, Ullrich; Stoger, Honorat; Tabakovic
Borussia Dortmund
Injuries are a big concern for Niko Kovac ahead of making his selections for the game, with as many as eight players in with a chance of missing out. Emre Can, Niklas Sule and Ramy Bensebaini are certainly unavailable with their respective knee injuries.
Jobe Bellingham, Karim Adeyemi, and Yan Couto are big doubts for the clash, while there are further absentees in Mussa Kaba and key midfielder Felix Nmecha. Hence, Kovac could make considerable alterations to his starting lineup, as Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Luca Reggiani will start in the back three.
Kovac will expect Bellingham to turn up fit despite the doubts over his fitness, as he could partner Marcel Sabitzer in the middle. Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier are the players likely to feature in the wing-back roles. Samuele Inacio and Julian Brandt could then play in advanced roles behind key striker Serhou Guirassy.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Reggiani; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Bellingham, Beier; Inacio, Brandt; Guirassy
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have won five of their last six matches against Borussia Monchengladbach in all competitions
- Borussia Monchengladbach have failed to win their last five Bundesliga games
- Borussia Dortmund have lost just once in their last 11 Bundesliga away games
- Borussia Monchengladbach have failed to defeat Borussia Dortmund in each of their last six Bundesliga meetings
Player to Watch
Serhou Guirassy
Guirassy is looking to finish yet another productive season, having scored 20 goals across all competitions, including 15 strikes in the Bundesliga. He has also managed to score in his last two games against TSG Hoffenheim and SC Freiburg, and Niko Kovac will expect him to find the back of the net against Monchengladbach.
The Guinean striker has been key to Dortmund in many aspects, although their fans would have hoped the team pushed themselves to a better level at different points of the campaign. However, with Kovac looking to finish the campaign with a flourish, Guirassy will be needed to keep scoring and help the side consolidate second spot.
Prediction
Borussia Monchengladbach 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Monchengladbach can rely on their home advantage, but given their form compared to their visiting rivals, it is difficult to see Eugene Polanski’s side getting anything, not even a goal. With their rivals in a supreme vein of form during the season, that could well show on the pitch on Sunday.
Borussia Dortmund have bigger fish to fry, as they will want to consolidate their second place at the earliest opportunity. While Niko Kovac’s side are widely expected to secure a comfortable win against Monchengladbach, they could inch closer to their objective.
