DFB Cup
“We’ve got a tough Cup tie ahead!”
The DFB Cup last 16 tie is just three rounds away from the final in Berlin. “Whether there will be an upset or not is decided by the favourite and not the underdog,” said Jürgen Klopp in the run-up to the away match on Tuesday (20.30 CET) against Dynamo Dresden, before adding: “We want to fulfil our potential. If we do so, it’ll be a big ask for Dresden.”
For everyone associated with the 1965 and 1989 German Cup winners, the 2011/2012 season showed just how great the final and the whole experience in Berlin can be. In 2012 BVB won their first-ever double and they reached the final in 2014 too. “We want to get back there – and we want to win it this time,” announced Dortmund’s determined coach, especially given the manner of defeat in last year’s Cup final, adding: “Let's say that we weren't entirely at fault for our defeat last year.”
Both the coach and his charges are taking their task against the lower league outfit seriously in view of “Dresden’s recent success in the competition”, by which Klopp is referring to victories over Schalke and Bochum in the current campaign as well as a win against Leverkusen in the not-so-distant past.
Dynamo, the Cup and "all the extra emotion"
The tie in Saxony is a potential banana skin. Klopp said: “All the extra emotion plays a role and Dresden’s belief in their own ability to cause an upset makes this match a special encounter.” The coach went on to add: “Dresden are ready for anything. It’s going to be a tough Cup tie. If we have any difficulties getting into our stride in this game, then we’ll be made to pay for it.”
The change of coaches in Dresden has meant that Jürgen Klopp has had to “discard all the information that had been gathered” and revert to analysing the matches against Wehen-Wiesbaden (an unlucky defeat) and Regensburg (a 3-2 victory after being 3-0 up). He will certainly be keeping a close eye on Justin Eilers, who grabbed the winning goals against Schalke and Bochum and has now scored 17 goals across two competitions this season. “He’s a great striker, he’s got good movement, is two-footed and can head the ball too,” said Klopp. “But if we can stop him from getting any service, then he won’t be able to cause much damage.”
"It would be wrong to think about rotation"
BVB will certainly take another step towards reaching the final in Berlin if they perform as well as they have done in recent encounters against Freiburg, Mainz, Stuttgart, Juventus and Schalke. “Any team that wants to lift the Cup must win in Dresden,” said Klopp, who has no intention of making wholesale changes to his starting line-up. “We are in a fairly good physical condition at this stage of the season and have only played one game more than most other teams. It would be wrong to think about rotation. However, it’s only natural that there may be one or two changes if there is only a short gap between two matches.”
The team doctor Markus Braun will therefore give his opinion on the players’ physical condition two days after the derby victory. Klopp said: “The medical department shall decide whether a player is able to feature or not.” In particular, this applies to Nuri Sahin, who was substituted with an adductor injury following a brilliant performance against Schalke. “It’s not looking too serious. That’s the good news,” admitted Klopp, who then erred on the side of caution: “But it would be stupid to take a risk. As for the other players, we’ll have to take a closer look.”
Sokratis may also make a return to the squad. “Yesterday he was only in with a 50/50 chance,” explained the coach.
Boris Rupert