Borussia Dortmund – Borussia Mönchengladbach
Gladbach has come away empty-handed from SIGNAL IDUNA PARK ten times in a row – but this time, the Foals are traveling to Dortmund in seventh place, just two points ahead of their rivals. The first leg ended 1-1, and with both Borussia teams fighting for a place in the Europa League, Sunday’s clash (3:30 p.m.) is sure to be a tense affair. Dortmund are buoyed by their 3-1 win over Barcelona, especially as Serhou Guirassy scored a hat-trick. Gladbach, on the other hand, are coming off a late 1-2 defeat to Freiburg and have a few personnel concerns, but are unbeaten in five away games. A BVB home win would swap the positions, while a Gladbach victory would increase the gap – there is much more at stake than just prestige.
Borussia Dortmund – Borussia Mönchengladbach Info
- Venue: SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Dortmund
- Date and time: 20.04.2025, 17:30
- Competition: Bundesliga (matchday 30)
Borussia Dortmund form & record check
The 3-1 win against the previously undefeated Catalans was a balm for BVB – Guirassy scored all three goals and confirmed his status as the team’s lifeline. In the league, there are ups and downs: three wins from the last four competitive games point to an upward trend, but Dortmund has not kept a clean sheet in any of its last five Bundesliga games, with more than half of the goals conceded coming after the break. At the same time, BVB scored at least three goals in each of those games, with all of them ending with over 3.5 goals. Winter signing Daniel Svensson is stabilizing the left side, but Schlotterbeck’s long-term absence leaves a gap in the center.
Kovač is likely to opt for a 3-4-2-1 formation again: Süle, Anton, and Bensebaïni will protect Kobel, with Groß and Nmecha forming the double six in front of them, Svensson and Beier coming in on the wings. Adeyemi and Brandt will support striker Guirassy. Schlotterbeck (meniscus), Can (adductors), and Sabitzer (knee) are still out, with Ryerson, Mané, and Bynoe-Gittens likely to make up the bench. No major changes to the system are expected at this stage.
Borussia Mönchengladbach Form & Record Check
Gladbach’s 1-2 defeat to Freiburg in the 90th minute fitted the current pattern: imaginative up front, vulnerable at the back. The Foals have scored in each of their last five league games, but have only kept one clean sheet. Tim Kleindienst publicly criticized the body language, while coach Seoane is considering bolder starting line-up options with Stöger and Chiarodia. Injuries are slowing things down: Honorat and Reitz are doubtful, Omlin is not yet 100%. On a positive note, the team is on a five-game unbeaten run away from home. With 44 points and seventh place in the table, a win in Dortmund could cement their European plans.
Seoane is likely to opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Elvedi should defend alongside Itakura, with Weigl and Neuhaus in the center. Ahead of them, Honorat, Stöger, and Plea could play (if fit), with Kleindienst leading the attack. Nicolas, Sander, Hack, Borges Sanches, and Ngoumou are definitely out; Honorat and Reitz will be assessed in the final training session. The message: take more risks, play less safe.
Borussia Dortmund – Borussia Mönchengladbach Head-to-head & statistics
There have been at least two goals in each of the last five meetings between these two sides, with only the 1-1 draw in December 2024 ending goalless. Dortmund won three of these games, Gladbach the spectacular 4-2 in November 2022. Both teams scored in all five games, with over 1.5 goals already scored at half-time in four cases – another indicator of a possible early fireworks display on Sunday.
