DFB Pokal: Dortmund’s last shot at a trophy

On Tuesday night the DFB Cup quarter final is going down in the Westfalenstadion. Borussia Dortmund host the match against TSG Hoffenheim, the winner will proceed to the semi-final.

Finally, the cup is getting serious for Dortmund as they are two wins away from a match in Berlin. TSG Hoffenheim was one of the easier draws, given that Bayern, Wolfsburg, Leverkusen and Gladbach are all still in the mix as well. I don’t have to stress, how important it would be for the club to win a Trophy in this very unsatisfying season. It is also of importance to qualify for Europe. This way, Borussia Dortmund will still generate quite a bit via sponsoring, match day revenue, etc. and won’t have to slim down their squad, which would mean a drastic step back. Eliminating Hoffenheim would increase the likeliness of qualifying for Europe, since it increases the likeliness that 7th place with suffice in the league. In other words, it’s a game BVB simply must win.

In order to that, Borussia Dortmund will have to reproduce the performance of the first meeting between the two sides. BVB won 1-0 on that Friday evening with a very dominant display, as they created a numerous amount of chances. Dittmar Hopp’s Bundesliga club is a surprise bag, who can play amazing attacking football on their day with talented players like Kevin Volland and Roberto Firmino in their ranks, but just as easily be eaten up by their inconsistent back line. Last Saturday, they were starting out quite well against a strong Gladbach team, even took the lead – yet, eventually the foals picked them apart.

Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol has a set of players on his hands, who don’t have the discipline to just shift around and defend. He is also not the kind of coach who would choose this style and that’s what is giving me hope for Tuesday night. The black and yellows will find a bit of space and should put finally something on the scoreboard again. Recalling the first match of the season Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had quite a few chances, which is always a good indicator, that Dortmund aren’t playing against brick wall. Expect entertainment, as this match should provide action on both ends.

Jürgen Klopp has said ahead of the match, that he won’t change anything about his attack, meaning that Reus and Aubameyang will play upfront. Though he has kept Kagawa and Mkhitaryan fresh for this match after the international break – which might turn out as nice advantage on the night.

Dortmund’s performance against Bayern wasn’t exactly bad either, so there is hope that they will find a way past Hoffenheim. Everyone knows about the importance of the match against Hoffenheim, so there is no doubt BVB will put in a shift to go through to the semi-finals.