Four home wins and four away draws: Borussia Dortmund only has a longer unbeaten record against Sportclub Freiburg than against TSG Hoffenheim, who they will be facing on Saturday (15:30 hrs) at the Signal Iduna Park. The facts to the "game for third place".

Situation: fourth against third. BVB could move above TSG again if they win, who have had the best season in their club history. Borussia has not lost any of the last eight competitive fixtures against Hoffenheim and only one of the last eleven matches.

Home/away: Borussia Dortmund has won six of the last seven games at home and they have been unbeaten at home in all competitive fixtures for 25 months (36 home games). They have won the last four home matches (league and Cup) against the club from Kraichgau. TSG Hoffenheim has only won one of their last seven away games (on the 31.3.2017 by 3-1 in Berlin).

Personnel: Borussia still have to do without Bartra (arm-OP), Götze (metabolic disease), Rode (rehab training), Sahin (partial tear of the lateral collateral ligament) and Schürrle (achilles problems). TSG does not have any injury worries.

Record: BVB has only lost one of their last ten games at home (league and Cup) against TSG: on the 18. May, 2013 by 1-2. This meant that Hoffenheim moved up to the relegation play-off place on MD 34 back then; a brace of penalties by Sejad Salihovice turned the game. There have been seven red cards (three for Dortmund) and five penalties (three against BVB) in the 19 competitive fixtures between the two teams (15 times Bundesliga, two times in the Cup).

Statistic: only Bayern Munich (2) and TSG Hoffenheim (3) have suffered less defeats that Borussia Dortmund (six defeats). Hoffenheim has drawn the most games in the league (13 times). BVB has not lost any of their last 29 games where they have taken the lead. TSG has won their last six matches after taking the lead 1-0 and they have still won a point in nine of their games where they have gone behind at some stage - best record in the league.

The highest home win: the score has been 3-1 on three ocassions, the last time on the 28. February, 2016.

Spectators: The Signal Iduna Park is sold out for the 13. time this season. 3500 fans will be travelling to the game from Sinsheim.

Referee: the DFB will announce the referee during the course of the day.

Yellow cards: Gonzalo Castro and Ermin Bicakcic already have four yellow cards each and will be suspended if they receive another yellow card.
Summary by Boris Rupert