It was a short night. Doctors and physios were still working and taking care of players until 4am so that they would be fit for the big match on Sunday away to Bayern Munich. There is only a 66 hour gap between the final whistle in Thessaloniki and the kick off at Allianz Arena.

The question has been asked whether the Bayern players’ visit to Oktoberfest on Wednesday or Borussia’s 1700 kilometre journey from Wednesday to Friday to Thessaloniki was more gruelling. The Head Coach Thomas Tuchel has stressed the most important fact: “There is a significant difference in having a home match Tuesday and Sunday to having an away match Thursday and Sunday.”

Bayern’s advantage: Two home games and two extra days off.

Borussia has tried to reduce the clear disadvantage (merely a result of the fixture list) by having five players (Hummels, Sokratis, Gündogan, Kagawa und Aubameyang) stay in Dortmund and train for Sunday’s match. A further setback occurred yesterday evening amid the comeback against PAOK Saloniki: Regardless of the score Thuchel, Mkhitaryan and Weigl all took something from the game after a good hour. Apart from the long journey Bürki, Ginter and Schmelzer (he was the only one of the trio to play for just half an hour) also face the trip to Munich but without additional match strain. Hans-Joachim Watzke: “We play on Sunday with a number of players who are quite ready.”

Although Bayern are again playing an outstanding season (seven games, seven wins) and physically are in a better situation for the duel on Sunday, Borussia has not given up. “If you look at our record for the last few years, we haven’t often left there empty handed”, notes Watzke. The statistics are giving the BVB boss hope. In the last seven games at Allianz Arena Borussia Dortmund has won four times and drawn once. “In the past we have shown that we can play good football in Munich and pick up a good result,” says sporting director Michael Zorc.

Bayern is playing for the Championship; Borussia is playing for a Champions League spot.

The fact that the duel between the champions from Munich and the “troublemakers” from Dortmund, who snatched the cup from Bayern in 2011 and 2012, is sometimes called the ultimate league game elicits nothing more than a smile from Watzke. “Apart from the fact the two top teams are playing each other on the eighth match day it is a normal Bundesliga game.” BVB has different aims to Bayern Munich as they are looking more towards VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04 who are all competing for a place in the top four. “It’s not about supremacy in the league,” says Michael Zorc. Hans-Joachim Watzke: “We’re playing for a place in the Champions League so we need every point we can get from Munich.”