Borussia Mönchengladbach take on Dortmund in home clash.
[introduction]
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Borussia Dortmund kicks off at 17:30 [GMT] on Saturday, December 7, at Borussia-Park.
[home]
Borussia Mönchengladbach suffered a 3-1 defeat against Freiburg last weekend in what was their fifth loss of the season. Having alternated between a draw and a win in their last four games, the defeat put an end to the notable trend [DWDWL]. Tim Kleindienst’s [61] goal wasn’t enough to prevent the Foals from slipping down to tenth place on the table. A return to Borussia-Park should aid the five-time BL Champions in bouncing back quickly as they host Dortmund, who are just three points above them. Mönchengladbach [5W, 2D, 5L] have accumulated 17 points so far. Having won each of their last four BL home games, the home side will be looking to extend the run to five. ‘We are coming out of a stable phase and are confident in our own strengths,’ head coach Gerardo Seoane said in a pre-match press conference. ‘A top team awaits us on Saturday, so we can’t give up much because mistakes at this level are quickly punished. We have a home game in front of our own fans. That gives us additional motivation, not the name of the opponent,’ he added. Luca Netz and Florian Neuhaus are ruled out for the Saturday game, while Kleindienst is expected to lead the line in a 4—2—3—1 formation.
[away]
Dortmund [LWLWD] were impressive against Bayern München last weekend as they recorded a 1-1 draw in Der Klassiker. A goal from Jamie Gittens [27’] gave them the lead, only for parity to be restored late in the game. The Black and Yellow are experiencing horrid away form, having picked just one point from five away games [LLLLD], their joint-lowest return at this stage since the 1989/90 season. Dortmund are now looking to find inspiration from recent away encounters with Mönchengladbach, as the Borussia-Park has been a fruitful hunting ground for the visitors. They have won 17 of the last 20 competitive meetings [17W, 3L], including the last three in a row against Mönchengladbach. Since the Foals’ BL promotion in 1965, no team has defeated them more often at home than Dortmund, who share this record with VfB Stuttgart [16 away wins each]. For Saturday’s clash, Gittens, Serhou Guirassy, and Maximilian Beier are expected to lead the attack in a 4—3—3 formation. Manager Nuri Şahin will have to contend with the absence of Karim Adeyemi and Waldemar Anton. Filippo Mané and Julian Brandt are also ruled out due to injuries.
