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Away in Kiel: "Perform in such a way that we get the three points"
After starting off the year with a home defeat to German champions Bayer Leverkusen on Friday evening, BVB will be aiming to pick up their first three points of 2025 away to promoted club Kiel. For the Black & Yellows, the 3-2 reverse at the hands of Leverkusen was their first home loss of this Bundesliga campaign. "We set out to win the game – despite the situation that we're in at the moment," explained BVB coach Nuri Sahin, in reference to the difficult personnel situation.
The Black & Yellows were without a total of six players due to injury and illness against Leverkusen. Pascal Groß was also unable to play due to his suspension, which will see him miss Tuesday's game against Kiel too.
Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Ramy Bensebaini and back-up goalkeeper Alexander Meyer, who were all missing from the squad due to infections, are "on the right track", according to Sahin, who went on to add: "But we don't know if they will be ready. We'll have to see how they cope with the individual workload in training," elaborated the BVB head coach. Niklas Süle is still out injured. Karim Adeyemi also fell ill after the Leverkusen game, while there are still question marks hanging over the involvement of Jamie Gittens and Donyell Malen the day before the game. "We've all caught it a bit," said Sahin, who also has a slight cold, adding: "We have to get through it somehow."
Regardless of the personnel situation and the resulting "suboptimal" preparation, "we will play 11 versus 11 tomorrow and, as Borussia Dortmund, we want to win the game," declared Sahin, who is expecting an unpleasant match in Kiel. The Northern Germans have only managed to collect eight points so far in their maiden Bundesliga campaign (two wins and two draws) and occupy second-last place in the table after 16 rounds of matches, with only VfL Bochum below them. At the weekend, coach Marcel Rapp's team suffered a 3-2 defeat in Freiburg.
Stay in the race
BVB have won the two previous head-to-head meetings with Kiel – both in the DFB-Pokal: Borussia Dortmund won 4-0 away from home in the quarter-finals in 2012, while the Black & Yellows advanced to the 2021 final thanks to a 5-0 home victory.
According to Sahin, Kiel are an opponent that "also define themselves through their intensity". Borussia have prepared themselves accordingly for the Northern Germans: "Games like this always have their own story. It isn't just down to tactics whether you win the game, but rather how you approach a game like this. How seriously do you take the game? How ready are you? That will also be an area where we'll get the boys primed."
Borussia, who are currently eighth in the table with 25 points, are determined not to lose touch with the Champions League places In the first of three successive English weeks leading up until the beginning of February. "We will perform in Kiel in such a way that we get the three points," promised Sahin ahead of the final game of the first half-season.
Nina Bargel-Neuhaus