The Fort Worth Press - Crunch time for bruised Dortmund as Leipzig come to town

USD -
AED 3.67301
AFN 68.145052
ALL 93.753728
AMD 390.140221
ANG 1.802599
AOA 910.982017
ARS 1006.59118
AUD 1.537657
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.69797
BAM 1.86664
BBD 2.019441
BDT 119.521076
BGN 1.863474
BHD 0.37695
BIF 2954.726579
BMD 1
BND 1.347847
BOB 6.936935
BRL 5.789398
BSD 1.000224
BTN 84.324335
BWP 13.663891
BYN 3.273158
BYR 19600
BZD 2.016139
CAD 1.39837
CDF 2870.999867
CHF 0.88729
CLF 0.035304
CLP 974.070325
CNY 7.246978
CNH 7.24452
COP 4389.41
CRC 509.75171
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 105.238293
CZK 24.127033
DJF 178.109714
DKK 7.108898
DOP 60.280693
DZD 133.664013
EGP 49.609006
ERN 15
ETB 124.718801
EUR 0.953185
FJD 2.271797
FKP 0.789317
GBP 0.79549
GEL 2.739997
GGP 0.789317
GHS 15.75318
GIP 0.789317
GMD 71.000019
GNF 8619.299175
GTQ 7.723106
GYD 209.262927
HKD 7.78049
HNL 25.274751
HRK 7.133259
HTG 131.279438
HUF 391.247974
IDR 15854.1
ILS 3.650985
IMP 0.789317
INR 84.271799
IQD 1310.217463
IRR 42074.999792
ISK 138.280113
JEP 0.789317
JMD 158.737885
JOD 0.709298
JPY 153.917966
KES 129.515392
KGS 86.789395
KHR 4014.412179
KMF 472.508288
KPW 899.999621
KRW 1400.825047
KWD 0.30769
KYD 0.83352
KZT 499.434511
LAK 21966.222697
LBP 89569.209478
LKR 291.048088
LRD 180.034264
LSL 18.083635
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.895182
MAD 10.048818
MDL 18.284378
MGA 4673.847167
MKD 58.505581
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999946
MOP 8.015558
MRU 39.777049
MUR 46.720307
MVR 15.459978
MWK 1734.391479
MXN 20.315301
MYR 4.451996
MZN 63.910192
NAD 18.083635
NGN 1687.479935
NIO 36.802146
NOK 11.091205
NPR 134.919279
NZD 1.71056
OMR 0.385006
PAB 1.000243
PEN 3.788159
PGK 4.02953
PHP 58.9305
PKR 277.799029
PLN 4.121803
PYG 7792.777961
QAR 3.648719
RON 4.743401
RSD 111.523008
RUB 104.145027
RWF 1365.707932
SAR 3.755274
SBD 8.383555
SCR 15.034935
SDG 601.502803
SEK 10.975898
SGD 1.34611
SHP 0.789317
SLE 22.73009
SLL 20969.504736
SOS 571.60855
SRD 35.494025
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.751963
SYP 2512.529858
SZL 18.078481
THB 34.649801
TJS 10.662244
TMT 3.5
TND 3.172563
TOP 2.342103
TRY 34.594865
TTD 6.793638
TWD 32.453012
TZS 2649.999898
UAH 41.507876
UGX 3705.983689
UYU 42.633606
UZS 12831.121482
VES 46.576427
VND 25420
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.791591
XAF 626.065503
XAG 0.033045
XAU 0.00038
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.765057
XOF 626.053552
XPF 113.823233
YER 249.925009
ZAR 18.037503
ZMK 9001.202481
ZMW 27.580711
ZWL 321.999592
  • CMSC

    0.1761

    24.8483

    +0.71%

  • RBGPF

    -0.9500

    59.24

    -1.6%

  • CMSD

    0.1640

    24.624

    +0.67%

  • NGG

    0.0300

    63.14

    +0.05%

  • GSK

    0.1550

    34.115

    +0.45%

  • BTI

    0.0350

    37.415

    +0.09%

  • SCS

    0.4250

    13.695

    +3.1%

  • AZN

    0.3950

    66.025

    +0.6%

  • RIO

    0.4850

    62.835

    +0.77%

  • RELX

    -0.2900

    46.46

    -0.62%

  • JRI

    0.1200

    13.33

    +0.9%

  • VOD

    0.1400

    8.87

    +1.58%

  • BP

    -0.4550

    29.265

    -1.55%

  • BCE

    0.0600

    26.83

    +0.22%

  • BCC

    10.2800

    154.06

    +6.67%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0500

    6.75

    -0.74%

Crunch time for bruised Dortmund as Leipzig come to town
Crunch time for bruised Dortmund as Leipzig come to town / Photo: © AFP

Crunch time for bruised Dortmund as Leipzig come to town

Battered and bruised amid their worst league start in a decade, Borussia Dortmund could hardly have picked a tougher time to host red-hot RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Text size:

Seventh in the league, Dortmund were booted out of the German Cup by struggling Wolfsburg in extra-time on Tuesday, their second round exit the earliest in the competition in 15 years.

Dortmund have lost four of their past five in all competitions, including an embarassing 5-2 capitulation away at Real Madrid after holding a 2-0 halftime lead.

Champions League finalists last season, Dortmund's struggles have raised questions about the suitability of new coach Nuri Sahin, who replaced Edin Terzic in the summer.

Sahin on Friday recognised the "difficult situation" but also sounded a determined note.

"We'll get out of this," he said. "We can turn it round. With the defeats, the cup exit and the injury list, its extremely bitter, but we will still have a good team on the pitch."

Dortmund are missing 10 first-team players, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel on Friday ruled out of Saturday's game.

"Ten injured players is a tough blow. I haven't experienced that before but we'll stick to ourselves and not hide behind excuses. That would be too easy."

Leipzig on the other hand have been in fine form this season.

They sit unbeaten alongside Bayern Munich with 20 points atop the Bundesliga table, seven ahead of Dortmund after just eight games. They have conceded just three goals in the league, keeping six clean sheets.

Leipzig have not lost a league match since February, a run of 19 games.

Leipzig coach Marco Rose, who was surprisingly sacked as Dortmund manager after just one season in 2022 despite a second-placed finish, said the clash would be "enjoyable and exciting".

"We're in excellent form and have good results behind us. We're in a good place and have confidence -- we want to play with conviction, trust and a lot of energy."

The run has Leipzig dreaming of breaking through for a debut title, following Bayer Leverkusen's example last season.

Speaking with AFP and other media in October, Leipzig defender David Raum said "if Leverkusen did it last year, we can do it also.

"We've already won the German Cup (in 2022 and 2023), but winning a league is something else -- you have to be consistent over the whole season.

"Bayern have a very good coach and a very good team, so they're very dangerous, but also Leverkusen and Dortmund have good squads, so let's see.

"But I think we have the quality to stay there."

The one thing in Dortmund's favour is their home record this season.

Dortmund's four wins in the league have all come at home, while their best performance under Sahin -- a 7-1 Champions League thrashing of Celtic -- was also at the Westfalenstadion.

Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen host Stuttgart on Friday, a rematch of the DFL Supercup, while Bayern Munich play at home against Union Berlin.

One to watch: Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt)

After failing to score in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Union Berlin, Omar Marmoush came off the bench to net the winner against Borussia Moenchengladbach in the German Cup on Wednesday.

Marmoush has a league-best nine goals, equal with Harry Kane, along with four assists this season.

After celebrating with a blood-stained Halloween mask on Wednesday, next on Marmoush's chopping block is rock-bottom Bochum.

"I believe Omar can be a bogeyman for every opponent," said Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmoeller. "But he doesn't need to put on a mask."

Key stats

19 - RB Leipzig are unbeaten in 19 league games dating back to February 2024 -- a club record.

13 - Bayern have scored 13 goals and conceded none in their past three games against German opposition.

0 - Union Berlin are yet to beat Bayern in 10 matches, with three draws and seven losses.

Fixtures (1430 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Bayer Leverkusen v Stuttgart (1930)

Saturday

Eintracht Frankfurt v Bochum, Holstein Kiel v Union Berlin, Wolfsburg v Augsburg, Bayern Munich v Union Berlin, Hoffenheim v St Pauli, Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig (1730)

Sunday

Freiburg v Mainz, Borussia Moenchengladbach v Werder Bremen (1630)

K.Ibarra--TFWP