Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Borussia Dortmund preview: The Borussias lock horns once again

Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Borussia Dortmund preview: The Borussias lock horns once again

Borussia Mönchengladbach:

The penultimate fixture on Matchday 32 of the Bundesliga offered up the battle of the Borussias for us to enjoy. Mönchengladbach play host to their namesake from Dortmund, with kick-off scheduled for 17:30 CET on Sunday afternoon.

For Gladbach, they were held to a scoreless stalemate by VfL Wolfsburg. Although a win would have been the objective, the draw may yet prove crucial towards maintaining their topflight status given the gap of seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Under-pressure coach Eugen Polanksi knows, with just three games remaining, every point gained is a step closer to survival. However, that could be easier said than done, having last tasted victory against FC St. Pauli back in mid-March.

Furthermore, they take on a Dortmund side keen to cling onto their runners-up spot. Yet, it must be said that Borussia Park has been a home comfort against BVB, with three wins alongside a draw and loss in the last five times Gladbach hosted this clash.

Team news:

Gladbach's injury list is relatively short which will come as a relief to Eugen Polanksi. Only Tim Kleindienst (fitness) is unavailable. Meanwhile, Jens Castrop will miss out through suspension for his red card picked up against Wolfsburg last Saturday.

Nicolas will likely start behind Sander, Elvedi and Diks in defence. Scally and Ullrich should play wide of Reitz, Engelhardt and Stöger, while Honorat is expected to partner Tabakovic in attack for the Foals.

Predicted lineup: Nicolas – Sander, Elvedi, Diks — Scally, Reitz, Engelhardt, Stöger, Ullrich – Honorat, Tabakovic

Borussia Dortmund:

Moving on to Borussia Dortmund, holding an advantageous position in the table gave them the freedom of handing out debuts last time out. Samuele Inácio impressed in a 4-0 win over SC Freiburg which brought their run of two defeats to an end.

Serhou Guirassy also rediscovered some of his goal-scoring form, netting twice as the result ensured Champions League football for BVB next season. Meanwhile, the highly-rated Mathis Albert also made his first bow in front of the Yellow Wall.

There may be nothing to play for regarding silverware, but having finished fourth and fifth in the two season previous, Niko Kovač will know a second-place finish would be steady progress. A win in Gladbach could ensure that physiological milestone.

They'll seemingly have to try and do it with just two fully fit centre-halves, after Kovač ruled Ramy Bensebaini out for the trip. But despite their troubles on the road in Gladbach, the host's lack of form should give Dortmund reason to believe in victory.

Team news:

Emre Can (ACL tear), Niklas Süle (knee), Ramy Bensebaini (knock) and Felix Nmecha (fitness) are definitely out of action for BVB. On the positive front, Yan Couto has recovered from illness, while Karim Adeyemi could be back in time to feature.

Kobel ought to start as Reggiani should come in to join Anton and Schlotterbeck. The middle third will likely consist of Ryerson, Bellingham, Sabitzer and Ryerson. Brandt is tipped to pair up with talent Inácio behind Guirassy.

Predicted lineup: Kobel – Reggiani, Anton, Schlotterbeck – Ryerson, Sabitzer, Bellingham, Svensson – Brandt, Inácio – Guirassy