The derby of the two Borussias this coming Saturday promises to be a pivotal clash in the German championship. It is anticipated that the team from M'gladbach will press the defence of the Dortmund visitors, although Borussia Dortmund will look to exploit the hosts' fragile mindset following their defeat to Freiburg (1:3).
The game last weekend ended their five-match unbeaten run in the league, although during this period, Borussia M'gladbach also were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt (1:2). At Freiburg (1:3), they registered 1.61 xGA with 17 attempts — the coaching staff hasn’t yet given the Marvin Friedrich – Ko Itakura defensive pair the stability they need. Despite signing Tim Kleindienst, Borussia M'gladbach have struggled with finishing; with 23.25 xG, they’ve managed just 18 goals — few Bundesliga sides are as inefficient in front of goal.
In the recent Der Klassiker, Borussia Dortmund nearly secured a second consecutive victory over Bayern Munich, thwarted only by a late Jamal Musiala goal (1:1). Following the recent international break, they achieved a long-awaited away win, defeating Dinamo Zagreb (3:0). Injured Karim Adeyemi returns to Borussia Dortmund, while Niklas Süle is set to replace Waldemar Anton in the starting lineup, having performed reliably against the Bavarians after a forced substitution.
Since May 2023, Borussia M'gladbach have faced three consecutive defeats against their Dortmund rivals (2:5, 2:4, and 1:2). The visitors need a victory over M'gladbach to climb into the top four, so we’re betting on them with a zero handicap.
