The home game against Bayer Leverkusen at 18:30 CET on Saturday evening "is the next opportunity to take a major step forward," said Peter Stöger in reference to Borussia Dortmund's Champions League aspirations, adding: "The situation we started out in is much worse than the one in which we find ourselves now. Our destiny is in our own hands."

BVB occupied eighth place and were three points adrift of fourth when the Austrian took over as head coach last December, but since his arrival they have picked up 29 points from 15 games. And while the derby defeat might have pushed the team down to fourth place – still a finish that would guarantee Champions League football for next season – for the first time since Matchday 22, they remain level on points with next opponents Leverkusen with a four-point cushion fifth place. "The number of matches is decreasing, the situation remains good," said the coach, who was a picture of calm despite the loss of Michy Batshuayi to injury for the rest of the season.

"We have a few options. Alex Isak has recognised that there is an opportunity for him to be involved," said the coach in praise of the young Swede, who has previously spent much of the second half of the season in Batshuayi's shadow. Alternatively he could field "lads with a lot of speed who would usually play down the flanks" up top or even operate without a real striker. "That would make the play between the lines more variable," he explained

Another player expected to be denied by injury is André Schürrle, who has not (yet) been able to participate in team training this week. On the plus side, though, the doubts surrounding the involvement of Sokratis have abated.

Against Heiko Herrlich's charges, a team Stöger believes has "developed brilliantly" and "deserves to be up there at the top," the coach wants his team to "play to their absolute limit in terms of running, football and fighting spirit". He concluded: "I believe it will be a completely open game."
Boris Rupert