Borussia Dortmund started the 2020/21 season well with the victory over MSV Duisburg in the DFB Cup. On Saturday (18.30 CET) against Borussia Mönchengladbach, the task is to also make a successful start to the Bundesliga season.

For the first time since February, BVB can count on the support of their fans in the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK: 10,000 spectators will be allowed into the stadium after consultation with the city of Dortmund. "Everyone is delighted that fans can come back into the stadium. It was a long time," said head coach Lucien Favre the day before the match. Sporting director Michael Zorc recalled two friendlies in the training camp when there were 1250 spectators in the stadium: "It was definitely different to playing without a crowd altogether. There was more atmosphere in the stadium."

That will help on Saturday against Mönchengladbach too. Zorc praised the performance in the opener against Duisburg once again ("We made it clear from the first minute that, as the favourites, we wanted to win the game"), but acknowledged that Gladbach possess a different level of quality: "We need a top quality performance against such an opponent to win the game on Saturday night. But that is always what we aim for at home." Favre recalled the past season, which saw the Gladbach team finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Champions League: "They played brilliantly. They are very dangerous." This season, the team started with an easy 8-0 victory over regional league team FC Oberneuland in the DFB Cup.

The head to head record in the battle of the Borussias speaks in favour of the black and yellows: BVB have won all ten of the most recent meetings between the sides, including the three games last season (two in the Bundesliga, one in the cup). "Gladbach are a very good team and it's hard to beat them." We want to win. We have to win to get off to a good start," said former Gladbach player Thorgan Hazard.

Favre did not confirm whether the recently injured Raphael Guerreiro and Roman Bürki, who both missed the game against Duisburg, would return to the squad on Saturday. Favre also did not want to say whether Marco Reus, who came on as a substitute in the cup game after seven months out injured and having played in just one friendly, would make it into the starting line-up: "We're very glad to have him back. He has worked very well and very hard, but we still have to be careful."

Christina Reinke