Borussia Dortmund vs. Arminia Bielefeld

2024-10-22

As Borussia Dortmund aim to bounce back from recent draws and close the gap at the Bundesliga summit, they host a struggling Arminia Bielefeld side battling to distance themselves from the relegation zone at Signal Iduna Park.

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund did not participate in any Bundesliga action last weekend, as their game against FSV Mainz was postponed. "The Bundesliga game between Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, originally scheduled for Sunday, March 6, cannot go ahead as planned," read a statement from the Bundesliga. "The match will be postponed because Mainz does not have the minimum number of players required by the DFL rules of the game due to, among other things, domestic isolation as a result of positive corona findings." It continued. “The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 16, at 6.30 PM CET”.

The Black and Yellows are coming off the back of a 1-1 draw against Augsburg and are looking to return to winning ways: WLWWD. Dortmund remains in 2nd place, nine points adrift of the league leaders, Bayern Munich, who are on 59 points. Dortmund currently has 50 points from 16 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses.

A victory for Dortmund could see the deficit at the top shrink, with the Reds facing Hoffenheim, a team that has been a thorn in their side in recent times. The Black and Yellows are the only team in the Bundesliga this season yet to pick up a draw on home soil, boasting 10 wins, 0 draws, and 2 losses at home.

Marco Rose would like to see another win added to the tally when he lays out a 4—3—3 formation with Hazard, Malen, and the skipper Marco Reus in attack. Erling Haaland remains in doubt for this weekend’s game alongside Reyna, who is dealing with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Thomas Meunier and Steffen Tigges are both ruled out.

DSC Arminia Bielefeld

Arminia Bielefeld failed to earn a point following a 1-0 loss to FC Augsburg last Saturday at the Bielefelder Alm Stadium. A single goal from Daniel Caligiuri in the 50th minute was enough to tip the scales in Augsburg's favor.

Currently in 15th place on the Bundesliga table, the club has picked up 25 points from 5 wins, 10 draws, and 10 losses, sitting three points above the bottom two. Die Blauen are returning after back-to-back defeats, with a recent form of DLWLL, as they prepare for this fixture against Dortmund.

An underwhelming performance in the final third leaves the club with 22 goals after 25 Bundesliga games. The Blues have conceded 33 goals so far this season, resulting in a goal difference of -11.

Frank Kramer’s 4-2-3-1 formation could see Janni Luca Serra at the top of the shape for this weekend’s game against the Black and Yellows. Patrick Wimmer remains doubtful, while Castro, Nathan de Medina, and Nilsson will not be taking part in the trip to Signal Iduna Park.