With qualification for European football at stake in the final matchweeks of the Bundesliga season, hosts Borussia Dortmund will aim to beat Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday at Signal Iduna Park in the Borussen derby.
BVB are in eighth place with 42 points but should be credited for earning a point against league-leaders Bayern Munich when they drew 2-2 on April 12, while Die Fohlen lost 2-1 against Freiburg on the same date and are seventh with 44 points.
Match preview
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Dortmund could have conceded more than twice against Bayern given the Bavarians generated eight big chances – missing six – but they did at least pose a significant threat during counter-attacks.
Boss Niko Kovac managed to guide his side to a 3-1 victory on Tuesday against Barcelona in the second leg of their quarter-final tie, but having lost the first leg 4-0 on April 9, his team were eliminated from the competition.
The hosts have found the back of the net 12 times in their last five games, scoring more in that time than they had in their previous eight (11), but they have also failed to keep a clean sheet for nine matches.
BVB still have a chance of qualifying for Europe given just three points separate them from sixth-placed Freiburg while the gap to fifth-placed Mainz 05 is four points, with those sides residing in the Conference League and Europa League spots respectively.
Kovac's team have won one, drawn one and lost one of their past three fixtures, but they are unbeaten in their three most recent Bundesliga outings, winning two while scoring nine times.
Dortmund have triumphed 3-1 in each of their last two home matches, but they were held to stalemates in five of their prior 11 at Signal Iduna Park, suffering four defeats.
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Opponents Borussia Monchengladbach took the lead in the 14th minute against Freiburg courtesy of an own goal, but the score was level two minutes later, and manager Gerardo Seoane will be concerned that his team failed to produce a big chance throughout the clash.
The visitors have only scored three goals in their last three outings, and they have registered the seventh-fewest touches in the opposition penalty area of the 18 teams in the top flight this term (622).
Die Fohlen drew 1-1 with Dortmund on December 7, extending their winless streak against their hosts to four matches having lost their prior three encounters.
Seoane's side were beaten in one and held to a stalemate in one of their past two games, but they did win six of their previous nine.
Borussia Monchengladbach boast an excellent record away from home, with the visitors achieving victory in four of their five most recent fixtures on the road, drawing the other.
Team News
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Dortmund will not be able to select midfielders Carney Chukwuemeka and Marcel Sabitzer, making Felix Nmecha and Pascal Gross candidates to start in a double pivot.
Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck have both regularly appeared in central defence, but with the pair both set to miss out, expect Niklas Sule, Waldemar Anton and Ramy Bensebaini to feature in a back three.
After scoring a hat-trick against Barcelona, striker Serhou Guirassy is certain to play up front, and he could be supported by Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier.
As for Borussia Monchengladbach, forwards Franck Honorat and Nathan N'Goumou will not be in the XI, so perhaps Tomas Cvancara, Alassane Plea and Robin Hack could be stationed behind striker Tim Kleindienst.
Goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas's groin injury will sideline him for the rest of the season, and his absence will lead to the selection of Tiago Pereira Cardoso behind centre-backs Ko Itakura and Nico Elvedi.
Florian Neuhaus and Julian Weigl could partner each other in midfield given Niklas Swider, Philipp Sander and Rocco Reitz are injured.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Nmecha, Gross, Svensson; Adeyemi, Beier; Guirassy
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Cardoso; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Ullrich; Neuhaus, Weigl; Cvancara, Plea, Hack; Kleindienst
We say: Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Borussia Monchengladbach
After their draining battle against Barcelona on Tuesday, Dortmund may be at risk of being physically outmatched by the visitors.
Borussia Monchengladbach have also been strong on the road, and it would not be surprising if they took advantage of BVB's depleted defence.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
