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Herbstmeisterschaft victors Dortmund can further affirm title credentials vs. Gladbach

By Matt Addison

Dortmund's players celebrate during the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen in Dortmund, western Germany, on December 15, 2018. (Photo by Patrik STOLLARZ / AFP) / RESTRICTIONS: DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo credit should read PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images)
Dortmund's players celebrate during the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen in Dortmund, western Germany, on December 15, 2018. (Photo by Patrik STOLLARZ / AFP) / RESTRICTIONS: DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo credit should read PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Every title victor must overcome pressures and challenges — and this might be Dortmund’s moment to show they can do just that.

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund have already secured their position as victors of the first half of the Bundesliga season — the Herbstmeisterschaft — but know their form must be maintained if they are to win their first title since 2012.

At Signal Iduna Park on Friday, Lucien Favre’s side must beat Dieter Hecking’s men to really put the pressure on their title rivals, chiefly Bayern Munich.

After a shock defeat to Fortuna Dusseldorf on Tuesday, Dortmund must bounce back quickly, and at least maintain their six-point buffer to Bayern Munich, who narrowly beat RB Leipzig by a goal to nil on Wednesday evening to close the gap at the top.

Borussia Monchengladbach, who beat Nurnberg on Tuesday night by two goals to nil, sit in second position in the league table, and so will provide a huge test for Dortmund, but Bayern are the realistic challengers: if Dortmund don’t win the title, it will be because the usual suspects have revived.

A win for Gladbach would hoist them just three points off top spot, which is more than sufficient motivation, and Bayern will be cheering them every step of the way. It’s up to Dortmund to hold their nerve.

Key battles

Axel Witsel has been very impressive in Dortmund’s midfield this season, adding quality and experience in the middle of the park, and will line up alongside either Thomas Delaney or Mahmoud Dahoud.

Lars Stindl, Florian Neuhaus and Michael Cuisance will have a difficult job in the Gladbach midfield matching them up, although all three are capable midfielders in their own right.

Further forward, though, is where both sides excel. Marco Reus for Dortmund has 10 goals this season and is their talisman, while Gladbach have their own star in the form of Thorgan Hazard, the younger brother of Eden.

Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic, Jadon Sancho and Paco Alcacer are also huge threats, with Alassane Plea Gladbach’s center-forward.

Gladbach have done particularly well considering their injury list which includes Raffael, Jonas Hofmann and Christoph Kramer, three players who would ordinarily be in their first XI.

Previous meetings

As good as Gladbach have been this season, over the course of the previous three campaigns, Dortmund have done the double over them in each and every one.

Last year, Dortmund won 6-1 at Signal Iduna Park with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring a hat-trick, and 1-0 at Borussia Park.

The previous season, Dortmund won 4-1 and 2-3, while in 2015-16, they prevailed 4-0 and 1-3.

The last draw between the two sides came in 2013 and there has only been one other draw in the last 17 meetings between the pair.

Gladbach have won five times in that period, but when they lose, they have a tendency to lose heavily, with scorelines of 6-1, 4-0 and 4-1 not uncommon.

This time, though, with Gladbach in second place and having only lost three times all season, the game should be far closer — Bayern will certainly be hoping so.

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