Borussia Dortmund vs. Hannover: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Borussia Dortmund host Hannover 96 on Matchday 21 of the 2015/16 Bundesliga season on Saturday.
On paper, the game between the second- and last-placed teams in the league is one of the most lopsided contests of the entire campaign.
Dortmund have gained seven points from their three fixtures after the winter break and have won eight of their nine home games this season. They've scored at least twice in each of their last 13 home matches in the Bundesliga, dating back to April 2015.
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The one game they failed to win in front of their own crowd in Signal Iduna Park came in September against SV Darmstadt (2-2), which could give Saturday's visitors some hope considering many expected the promoted side to get battered by the Black and Yellows in that game.
The Ruhr side are coming off an impressive 3-1 victory over in-form Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals on Tuesday and have the UEFA Europa League round-of-32 tie against FC Porto in front of them, so they'll have to make sure they're focused for the game against Hannover.
The 96ers, on the other hand, are in a dire situation. Losers of six straight games in the league, terra firma is getting more and more out of sight. The club from Lower Saxony are already seven points behind 15th-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
A coaching change during the winter break, with long-time Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf replacing Michael Frontzeck, has not produced the desired turnaround so far. Neither have the new signings; Hannover acquired no fewer than six players in the January transfer window, which reeks of desperation.
Dortmund won the meeting in Hannover in September 4-2 and boast a good home record against the 96ers, having lost only three of the 13 meetings between the sides in Westfalenstadion since 2002.
Date: Saturday, February 13
Time: 2.30 p.m. GMT/9.30 a.m. ET/3.30 p.m. local time
Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
TV Info: FS 2 (U.S. only)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only)
Form Guide
| Dortmund | Hannover |
| Cologne: Loss (2-1) | Hoffenheim: Loss (1-0) |
| Gladbach: Win (3-1) | Bayern: Loss (1-0) |
| Ingolstadt: Win (2-0) | Darmstadt: Loss (2-1) |
| Hertha: Draw (0-0) | Leverkusen: Loss (3-0) |
| Stuttgart: Win (3-1) | Mainz: Loss (1-0) |
Predicted Lineups
Dortmund
Predicted starting XI: Burki; Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer; Gundogan, Weigl, Castro; Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Reus.
BVB escaped the difficult pitch conditions in Stuttgart during the week without any injuries. Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang picked up a knock but should be good to go for the Hannover game.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel could err on the side of caution with Porto on his mind, however, so seeing Adrian Ramos replace the Gabonese in the starting lineup wouldn't be too big of a surprise.
Julian Weigl and Gonzalo Castro didn't play in the cup match and could return to the starting XI. Weigl would replace Matthias Ginter in defensive midfield, while Castro's inclusion would push Erik Durm to the bench and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the wing. If not Castro, Moritz Leitner or Shinji Kagawa could also get Durm's spot.
Hannover
Predicted starting XI: Zieler; Sakai, Milosevic, Felipe, Prib; Gulselam, Schmiedebach, Sane; Karaman, Bech; Sobiech.
Unlike the hosts, Hannover have a number of injuries to deal with. Defender and captain Christian Schulz, full-back Oliver Sorg, midfielders Leon Andreasen, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Marius Wolf and Felix Klaus and strikers Adam Szalai, Hugo Almeida and Charlison Benschop will all miss the game with various injuries.
The loss of his usual striking duo, Szalai and Almeida, could be a blessing in disguise for Schaaf, because Artur Sobiech is quicker than both of them and a better fit for a counter-attacking approach. He scored a brace in the first meeting with Dortmund too.
As Michael Richter noted for sport magazine Kicker, however, Sobiech is pretty far down the ranks and might not even get the start despite the fact all the other classic No. 9s will be missing.
His options elsewhere are fairly limited. Andre Hoffmann could play in central defence or in defensive midfield, while 18-year-old winger Allan Saint-Maximin is an option if Schaaf wants to focus on quickness on the break.
Players to Watch
Ilkay Gundogan will make his 100th league appearance for Dortmund on Saturday. After bossing the cup match against Stuttgart in midweek with a fabulous performance, especially in the first half, the Germany international will again be key against opponents who'll concede possession to Dortmund.
Per Thomas Hennecke of Kicker, the 25-year-old has already made a league-leading nine pre-assists this season, which shows his worth goes far beyond the usual stats.
As for Hannover, all eyes will be on Felipe. The Brazilian defender had one of the worst days a professional footballer could have in the first meeting with Dortmund in September: He gave away two penalties and scored an own goal.
The 28-year-old has only spent 34 minutes on the pitch during seven appearances as a substitute in the Bundesliga since that day but is likely to start with Schulz missing the game because of a gastric flu.
Key Battles
Hannover's Approach vs. Dortmund's Creative Players
With so many players missing, it wouldn't be surprising to see Schaaf turn away from his beloved diamond formation in midfield. A more defensive approach would see Hannover field three defensive-minded midfielders who'd likely be tasked with man-marking Dortmund's creative players.
Such a strategy has worked very well for FC Ingolstadt and Hertha BSC against Dortmund in recent weeks, meaning the Black and Yellows struggled to create goalscoring opportunities, but both of these teams have more talent in their squad than Hannover defensively.
Dortmund vs. Potential Complacency
Make no mistake about it, this is a game the hosts are expected to win—and to win comfortably. With Hannover struggling for months and Porto on the horizon, Dortmund's biggest opponent could be their own complacency.
They have to be alert, especially for set pieces. BVB have given away some fairly cheap chances in recent weeks, particularly in the form of open headers after corners. Set pieces are obviously the easiest way for a team that's struggling—like Hannover, who've managed a measly 19 goals after Matchday 20—to hurt a far superior team.
The Black and Yellows also need to make sure they don't give the ball away cheaply in buildup play, as they did a few times in the two aforementioned league games in which they struggled. Hannover might not be a particularly dangerous team, but even they wouldn't spurn an invitation.
If Dortmund give a concentrated performance, there's not much they have to worry about with this opponent.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Dortmund: 100-667
Draw: 8-1
Hannover: 16-1
Lars Pollmann is a Featured Columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. He also writes for YellowWallPod.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
