There have arguably been "better" moments than this week to face VfB Stuttgart this season. Nonetheless, Thomas Tuchel's aim is still to take the penultimate step on the road to Berlin when Borussia Dortmund travel to Baden-Württemberg in the DFB Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday evening (20:30 CET, live on ARD, Sky and the net radio).

Thomas Tuchel knew it would be a tough task "when we were sitting in the changing rooms in Augsburg and the draw was made", he said in the build-up to the cup clash. On that evening, his charges put in a dominant - though admittedly unglamorous - performance to win 2-0 away to FC Augsburg and secure their position among the last eight. Two hours earlier, VfB Stuttgart had secured a 3-2 win over Eintracht Braunschweig in a gruelling match that went into extra-time to qualify for the quarter-final and record new boss Jürgen Kramny's first victory at the fourth attempt.

"I've been aware of the potential there for two years. It will be very difficult to play against VfB in this phase where they are showing their full potential and playing with such a balance between defence and attack," explained Tuchel. Stuttgart's 3-2 win against Braunschweig on 16 December 2015 was the first of five consecutive victories: 3-1 against Wolfsburg, 3-1 in Cologne, 2-1 in Hamburg and then 4-2 last weekend in Frankfurt.

"We won't win there if we do not manage to keep their counter-attacks under control!"

"Their attacking potential is very good, and now they have found the balance between offence and defence," said Tuchel, who believes the opposition have "outstanding speed in their switch play" and recognises they have "key players" in Didavi ("He brings goal-scoring prowess from midfield") and leader Christian Gentner. The BVB boss warned: "We won't win there if we do not manage to keep their counter-attacks under control! We need to attack in a way that is very careful, very structured and alert at all times in order to prevent their counter-attacks before they get going."

Few, if any, personnel changes are in the offing. Three days after the "intense match" in Berlin, Tuchel sees "no need at this early stage to take this into consideration" and announced a desire to approach "this special task with the best team we currently have". From this starting XI, the coach is expecting the "alertness you need to play a cup quarter-final in Stuttgart". Otherwise it could turn into a rather unpleasant evening.

Boris Rupert

BVB total! video: The full press conference with Thomas Tuchel, free of charge for all.