Fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund will be attempting to wrest back third spot, which guarantees its occupant automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League, from TSG Hoffenheim when they play host to the Sinsheim outfit on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CET). Thomas Tuchel, however, is not feeling the pressure.

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"We've consistently demonstrated we can handle it. The pressure's always there," said Tuchel, who pointed to a number of "key games" during the current campaign (in which his side have usually been successful) as evidence. "We're confident and we know what we're capable of. We've always delivered in such situations. There's no more pressure resting on this match than there is on many others."

Though Tuchel feels the game has the atmosphere of "a DFB Cup knockout tie" given that it's a direct battle between the sides in third and fourth, he remains firm in his belief that "this match is not the be-all and end-all, as there are still two more games to go afterwards. Even if we manage to beat Hoffenheim, we will still have work to do – both in Augsburg and against Bremen."

Saturday afternoon presents Tuchel's charges with the opportunity to lay the groundwork for those final weeks of the season against an opponent the coach believes "deserve to be where they are". He continued: "A very good coach has combined with a very good squad to put them where they are in the table now. Hoffenheim play very courageously and maintain a clear structure when in possession."

For the first time since 11 March, Tuchel has been able to do with his team what Julian Nagelsmann has been doing with his Hoffenheim side all season: spend five days preparing for a match. "It's done all of us good to have a bit of a breather," he admitted. Initially the volume of training was toned down slightly "in order to allow the team to step up the intensity over the course of the next three weeks."

But before that comes the battle with Hoffenheim. Tuchel said: "It will be very emotional. We'll need to give it everything we've got." Sokratis and Schmelzer are fit, while Rode's back in the squad too. (br)