This will be the teams' 100th top-flight meeting, and while VfB have historically had the upper hand in this match-up, with 39 wins to Dortmund's 36, the clubs' respective situations could hardly be more different as the much-anticipated Matchday 25 clash approaches. As the current league leaders, Lucien Favre's charges are favourites, with Markus Weinzierl's side regarded as the underdogs.
Consolidating the recent upswing
Nevertheless, the VfB boss is determined his team return home from Dortmund with something to show for their efforts: "There are three more points at stake and we'll fight for every point we can get in the last ten games." While getting a positive result is the priority on Saturday, it is not the only thing Weinzierl is looking out for. "We also want to consolidate our recent performances and the upward trend we're enjoying," he said. "We'll give it everything we have – we want to create a similar atmosphere for our fans as we did last Sunday."
Weinzierl has a full squad at his disposal as they look to do just that. Nevertheless, in light of the improved displays in recent weeks, the VfB coach could well field an unchanged starting line-up for a fourth successive game.