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DFB Pokal preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen

By Tushar Bahl

DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 03: head coach Lucien Favre of Borussia Dortmund controls the ball during a training session at the Borussia Dortmund training center on February 3, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 03: head coach Lucien Favre of Borussia Dortmund controls the ball during a training session at the Borussia Dortmund training center on February 3, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images) /
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Borussia Dortmund host Werder Bremen in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup on Tuesday with a place in the quarterfinals on the line.

Following their 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, Borussia Dortmund will be aiming to get back to winning ways in the German Cup on Tuesday. Lucien Favre’s side needed extra time to see off the challenges of second division teams Greuther Furth and Union Berlin in the first two rounds. And they will be hoping for a much easier tie against Werder Bremen.

Lucien Favre confirmed yesterday that he will make some changes to his side for the cup tie. So the likes of Christian Pulisic, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Mahmoud Dahoud could return to the starting XI. Dan Axel Zagadou is back in training but will not feature on Tuesday. While Manuel Akanji and Leonardo Balerdi are both out with injuries.

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Borussia Dortmund

The Black and Yellows have enjoyed a strong start to 2019 but were made to rue missed chances on Saturday as they played out a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt. The result was enough to help them extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points, but Lucien Favre will be looking for improvements from his side on Tuesday.

Dortmund were pushed almost all the way by Greuther Furth and Union Berlin in the first two rounds of the Pokal and they needed extra time winners from Marco Reus to seal their passage to the round of 16.

Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen lie tenth in the Bundesliga table and have won only one of their last six matches. They suffered a 2-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga in December and will be hoping for a better result on Tuesday. Bremen breezed through the first two rounds of the Pokal, having thrashed lower league sides Wormatia 6-1 and Weiche Flensburg 5-1.

Team News

Lucien Favre confirmed that he will rotate his side for Tuesday’s game and a number of fringe players could get the chance to feature from the start. The likes of Christian Pulisic, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Mahmoud Dahoud and Marcel Schmelzer are all in line to feature and will be hoping to stake a claim for a regular starting berth.

Dan Axel Zagadou (fitness), Manuel Akanji (hip), Leonardo Balerdi (mouth) will all miss the game for Borussia Dortmund.

Werder Bremen are set to be without Finn Bartels (illness) Aron Jóhannsson (ankle) and Jan-Niklas Beste (ankle). Young USMNT striker Josh Sargent will be hoping feature from the start, having made six substitute appearances so far.

Last Meeting: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Werder Bremen

DORTMUND, GERMANY – DECEMBER 15: Nuri Sahin of SV Werder Bremen, Jadon Malik Sancho of Borussia Dortmund and Ludwig Augustinsson of SV Werder Bremen battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and SV Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park on December 15, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY – DECEMBER 15: Nuri Sahin of SV Werder Bremen, Jadon Malik Sancho of Borussia Dortmund and Ludwig Augustinsson of SV Werder Bremen battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and SV Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park on December 15, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

The last time the two sides met was in December when Borussia Dortmund edged to a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. Goals from Paco Alcacer and Marco Reus gave the Black and Yellows a two goal lead in the first half, before Max Kruse’s rocket helped Bremen pull a goal back on the stroke of half time. The second half was a tight affair but Dortmund hung on to seal the three points and secure the unofficial autumn championship.

Expected Lineups

Borussia Dortmund: Hitz – Hakimi, Weigl, Toprak, Schmelzer – Dahoud, Witsel – Pulisic, Reus, Bruun Larsen – Gotze

Werder Bremen: Pavlenka – Gebre Selassie, Veljkovic, Moisander, Augustinsson – M. Eggestein, Sahin, Klaassen – Sargent, Kruse, Rashica

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