Borussia Dortmund will end the current Bundesliga round with the match against FSV Mainz 05 late Sunday afternoon. It is also the end of an intense week, with BVB having played games against FC Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur - and the fifth of six consecutive weeks incorporating a mid-week match to contend with.

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Despite the numerous and exhausting games, Thomas Tuchel remains unconcerned about his players' general condition. "We seemed to be very fresh and stayed upright during the game against Tottenham, the players felt really good", said the manager on the day before the game, the second day after the game on Thursday: "We normally let the players have the second day after a game off. That hasn't been the case for a while now because it is normally the final training session before the following game." Nevertheless, Tuchel feels, "we can fit one more game in".

And that game will probably be no mean feat, as the men from Rheinhessen have had a strong second half of the season up until now, and remain within touching distance of the Champions League places in the Bundesliga table. For Tuchel, this is not at all surprising: "On paper you could see that they would go on to pick up points. The squad is nicely balanced and there is individual quality there. They are a tight-knit group."

"Mainz defend bravely and are aggressive going forward"

On top of all that, they are an awkward team to play against, characterised as they are by an ability to produce "a very athletic and free-flowing game".  Top teams including Mönchengladbach, Schalke, Leverkusen and Munich have found that out the hard way, all of them having been beaten by Mainz.

The 0-Fivers deviated from their normal system for the first time against the Bavarians, opting for five at the back in defence, something which Tuchel can well imagine them employing against BVB: "We would then have to find a way around that. Mainz defend bravely, are aggressive going forward and remain very disciplined as a unit."

Sunday's guests have not been able to notch up a win at the Signal Iduna Park in ten attempts. To keep that going, the manager has demanded a strong performance from his team: "We require that certain briskness in our decision making and play, as well as a strong determination to put all our energy into counteracting them effectively."
Christina Reinke

BVB total!-Video: The complete press conference with Thomas Tuchel, free to all