Goals will be guaranteed when Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head with SC Paderborn on Tuesday evening (kick-off at 20:45 CET) – and not just because there has to be a winner in the cup. There have been at least six goals in each of the last three competitive meetings between the clubs.

In the Bundesliga last season, Borussia Dortmund were held to a 3-3 draw at home before claiming a 6-1 victory in Paderborn in the return fixture. The Black & Yellows also beat the East Westphalians 7-1 in the DFB Cup Second Round in 2015. Mats Hummels, Roman Bürki, Lukasz Piszczek and Marcel Schmelzer all played and helped their side progress that day. Now the two teams are up against each other in the last 16. 

BVB have gotten through to the Round of 16 thanks to wins against MSV Duisburg and Eintracht Braunschweig. Second-tier Paderborn, meanwhile, have knocked Wiedenbrück and Union Berlin out of the cup this season. Relegated from the Bundesliga last term, they now sit ninth in the Bundesliga 2. Steffen Baumgart's team have an even record of two victories, two draws and two defeats from their six games in 2021.

BVB actually faced Paderborn in a pre-season friendly last summer and were held to a 1-1 stalemate. "You could see then how good they are. We had two difficult matches against them in the Bundesliga last season, especially at home when we were 3-0 down at half-time," said BVB coach Edin Terzic of the opposition. "It doesn't matter to them whether they are playing in the first or second tier or in the DFB Cup, whether they are at home or away, or whom they are playing against. They try to play their intensive style of football with lots of tempo and pressing." 

Borussia Dortmund have been knocked out of the competition by Werder Bremen at the last-16 stage in each of the past two seasons. "We want to use this chance to go one better this year. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to reach the next round," declared Terzic. "The lads know that things can go in both directions quickly in this competition and that they need to beware." In a cup competition that Terzic labelled as "very important for us", there is no "tomorrow" but only the "here and now". He added: "If you slip up in the cup, there's no chance to redeem yourself – unless you wait for a few months to pass."

There are no changes in terms of personnel at Borussia Dortmund. Terzic is expecting to have the same squad he had for the Bundesliga match against FC Augsburg available for the cup tie. 
Christina Reinke

BVB-TV by 1&1: SC Paderborn pre-match press conference