Borussia Dortmund have scored 86 goals in three competitions – Bundesliga, DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League – this season (an average of 2.4 per match). If Ousmane Dembélé (suspended), Marco Reus and Mario Götze are joined on the sidelines by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Shinji Kagawa and Julian Weigl, then BVB will be without the scorers of 50 of those goals when they face Ingolstadt on Friday evening.

Thomas Tuchel is therefore expecting a "very courageous opponent, in part because of our personnel problems". But there is still hope that Aubameyang (29 goals, five assists) and Weigl (one goal, zero assists), who both completed an endurance test on Friday morning, and Kagawa (four goals, three assists), who took a knock to his knee in training on Wednesday, could be involved. "It'd be a real shame if he was out because he's on top form at the moment," said the coach of the Japan international. Aubameyang and Weigl are currently receiving more or less round-the-clock supervision from the medical department for their adductor problems.

But even if the trio do play a part Ingolstadt will be no pushover, despite the fact the Bavarians currently have the worst away record in the entire division. "Ingolstadt haven't really got the results but they've still played very well," said Tuchel, who described the Schanzer as an "aggressive team with a very good defence". They pose a real threat from dead-balls as well, as Borussia discovered to their detriment when they conceded twice from free-kicks in the 3-3 draw earlier this season. "We didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed with the point," Tuchel said.

Concede as few set-pieces as possible

"Set-pieces are a point of discussion," said Tuchel in reference to the team meeting, before adding: "We must put all our energy into preventing and defending them". The Black and Yellows will need to if they want to extend their outstanding home run on Friday. If the hosts avoid defeat against Ingolstadt, they will have gone two years (1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on 4 April 2015, next home game at home to HSV on 4 April 2017) unbeaten in front of their own fans for the first time in the club's history.

"It's an incredibly long time," said Tuchel, "and not just of our own doing. We've continued a run that begun under Kloppo." It is a feat that has been achieved thanks to the contagious enthusiasm of the fans at every home game. "When you arrive and you see all the yellow shirts, then you hear that deafening roar in the stadium, it produces a special type of energy that helps you forget your tiredness and inspires you to give your best and perform to your limit," Tuchel explained.

Boris Rupert