No training today, but from Wednesday onwards there's only one topic on everyone's lips: Greuther Fürth. Lucien Favre will have five days to fine tune any last details before the start of competitive football next Monday, when the first round of the 2018/2019 DFB Cup gets underway with a fixture against last season's 15th placed team in the 2. Bundesliga. 

Greuther Fürth - Borussia's semi-final opponent back in 2012 - are essentially the strongest team amongst the 32 potential opponents in the draw. Each year, only the 15th and 16th (Aue) placed teams from the second tier are put into the side of the draw containing amateur clubs, in order to balance the draw between 32 seeded and unseeded teams.

''Two, three mistakes, which we have to correct''

The Franconians have already played two competitive fixtures in the 2. Bundesliga: a 3-1 win over Sandhausen, and a 1-1 draw with Ingolstadt. Borussia Dortmund emerge from their series of friendlies with a record of five wins, two draws and only one defeat. ''We defended better than we did against Napoli,'' stated Favre after the 1-0 win on Sunday against Lazio. ''There is clearly a lot to be done, but that goes without saying, that's normal.'' The coach alluded to the ''two, three golden opportunities'' which the opposing team were granted (''too many!'') and also spoke of ''mistakes, which we have to correct. Everything else was ok.''

Favre felt that the team lacked ''runs in behind'' in the second half, and called for ''patience when we have the ball. Sometimes it isn't always possible to create something straight away.''

Witsel ''not quite ready'' for the starting line-up

A formation is taking shape. The team is coming together. Axel Witsel made a 20 minute debut, but will not be part of the plans for the starting line-up for the match in Fürth. ''He isn't quite ready for it,'' said Favre: ''He's clearly an experienced player, who kept himself fit during the break, but he still needs a little bit more time.''

Against Lazio, Favre was able to name 22 players in the squad (while still leaving a few at home), but in Fürth he will have to reduce his options to 18 players. No problem for the Swiss coach, the opposite in fact: ''We have a packed schedule. Plus there's the international fixtures. I think all players will be required.''

Fürth is Borussia Dortmund's first of 25 competitive fixtures between 20 August and 22 December. 

Boris Rupert