In what is shaping up to be a vital Borussen derby at Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach square off on Sunday with European football in sight as the Bundesliga season enters its final stretch.
Dortmund sit in eighth place with 42 points and enter this fixture having held title-chasing Bayern Munich to a dramatic 2-2 draw on April 12. Despite facing eight big chances from the Bavarians, BVB showcased resilience in defence and posed a potent counter-attacking threat. Niko Kovac’s men followed that up with a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League, winning the second leg 3-1 but crashing out after a heavy 4-0 first-leg loss.
Domestically, Dortmund have found their scoring rhythm, netting 12 goals in their last five league matches — surpassing the 11 they scored in the previous eight. However, defensive issues remain, with the team failing to keep a clean sheet in their last nine Bundesliga outings. With just three points separating them from sixth-placed Freiburg and four from fifth-placed Mainz 05, European qualification remains within reach if they can continue their upward trend.
Signal Iduna Park has recently seen back-to-back 3-1 wins for the hosts, but inconsistency on home turf has dogged them this season, with five draws and four losses from their last 11 Bundesliga games there.
Borussia Monchengladbach, meanwhile, are slightly better placed than Borussia Dortmund in seventh with 44 points but come off a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Freiburg. Despite taking an early lead through an own goal, Die Fohlen failed to carve out any big chances, and Gerardo Seoane will be concerned about their recent bluntness in attack, just three goals in their last three league games.
Offensively, Monchengladbach remain limited, with the seventh-fewest penalty-box touches in the league this season, and they are now winless in four consecutive fixtures against Dortmund, losing the last three before a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
Still, Borussia Monchengladbach have excelled on the road recently, winning four and drawing one of their last five away matches, a run that suggests they are more than capable of upsetting the odds. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Borussia Dortmund are contending with a number of injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s Borussen derby against Borussia Monchengladbach. Midfield duo Carney Chukwuemeka and Marcel Sabitzer are both ruled out, which leaves Felix Nmecha and Pascal Gross in contention to start in central midfield.
Defensively, the absences of Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck further limit Niko Kovac’s options, and both players are expected to miss out due to injury. In their absence, a back three consisting of Niklas Sule, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini is likely to be deployed.
Further forward, Dortmund will look to build on their attacking momentum following their spirited Champions League showing against Barcelona. After netting a superb hat-trick in that midweek clash, Serhou Guirassy is guaranteed to lead the line. He is expected to receive support from Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier, both of whom bring pace and flair to Dortmund’s transitional play.
In terms of formation, Borussia Dortmund are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 shape against Borussia Monchengladbach. Gregor Kobel will start in goal behind a back three of Niklas Sule, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini.
Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson are expected to feature as the wing-backs, with Felix Nmecha and Pascal Gross forming the central midfield partnership. Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi will support Serhou Guirassy from the attacking midfield positions, rounding out a lineup designed to attack with pace and efficiency while maintaining stability in the middle of the park
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Nmecha, Gross, Svensson; Adeyemi, Beier; Guirassy
Borussia Monchengladbach are dealing with a number of injury setbacks as they prepare for Sunday’s derby clash with Borussia Dortmund. Forwards Franck Honorat and Nathan Ngoumou are both ruled out, which impacts the attacking depth available to head coach Gerardo Seoane.
In midfield, the absences of Niklas Swider, Philipp Sander, and Rocco Reitz further reduce Gerardo Seoane’s options in the engine room. Additionally, first-choice goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas is sidelined for the rest of the season due to a groin injury, which means Tiago Pereira Cardoso will retain the gloves for the remainder of the campaign.
In terms of formation, Borussia Monchengladbach are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 system against Borussia Dortmund. Tiago Pereira Cardoso will start in goal, shielded by a back four comprising Joe Scally at right-back, Lukas Ullrich on the left, and the central defensive pairing of Ko Itakura and Nico Elvedi. The midfield double pivot will feature Florian Neuhaus and Julian Weigl, who are expected to control possession and provide a defensive screen.
In the attacking third, Tomas Cvancara, Alassane Plea, and Robin Hack are likely to line up as the trio behind the lone striker. Tim Kleindienst will spearhead the Borussia Monchengladbach attack, hoping to take advantage of any gaps in the Borrusia Dortmund backline and add to his goal tally for the season.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cardoso; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Ullrich; Neuhaus, Weigl; Cvancara, Plea, Hack; Kleindienst
Borussia Dortmund have won 17 of their last 18 Bundesliga home games against Borussia Monchengladbach. This includes each of the last ten meetings at Signal Iduna Park, making it one of the most dominant home records in the league’s history.
With 42 points from 29 games, this is Borussia Dortmund’s worst Bundesliga campaign in 10 years. The last time they had fewer points at this stage was in 2014/15, when they sat 9th in the standings.
Borussia Monchengladbach have taken 13 of a possible 15 points from their last five Bundesliga away matches (W4 D1). Only Bayer Leverkusen have matched that tally since Matchday 20.
Both Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach have scored 11 headers in the Bundesliga this season, which is a joint league-high alongside Bayern and Freiburg. Meanwhile, Monchengladbach have conceded the joint-fewest headed goals (3), while Dortmund have allowed 7.
Although Gladbach are winless in their last two Bundesliga games (D1 L1), they had 44 points after 29 games in 2019/20, the last season they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. The last team to make up a four-point gap on fourth after 29 games was Dortmund in 2020/21.
All eyes will be on the in-demand Serhou Guirassy this weekend as Borussia Dortmund host Borussia Monchengladbach in a crucial top-eight clash. The Guinean striker, who bagged a sensational hat-trick against Barcelona in the midweek Champions League fixture, comes into this match brimming with confidence and form.
Guirassy has proven to be one of Dortmund’s most lethal attacking outlets since his arrival, offering a unique combination of physicality, positioning, and ruthless finishing. His ability to hold up play and link with runners like Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier makes him a constant threat in transition, a scenario Dortmund thrive in, especially at Signal Iduna Park.
With Dortmund in dire need of three points to keep their European hopes alive, and Mönchengladbach boasting one of the Bundesliga’s better away records recently, Guirassy’s performance could be the defining factor. Given his knack for rising to big occasions, the in-form forward might just be the one to tip the scales in Dortmund’s favour.
Expect an entertaining draw that keeps both sides in the hunt but does little to solidify either team’s European aspirations. This match is a classic case of contrasting home and away form. Borussia Dortmund have improved in front of goal but continue to leak at the back, while Monchengladbach are reliable travellers but struggling for attacking fluency.
