Borussia Dortmund will continue their pursuit of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich when they welcome Hertha Berlin to Signal Iduna Park in Saturday's late start.
Lucien Favre's side are currently second in the table, seven points off Bayern, while Hertha occupy ninth position, having gathered 38 points from their 29 league matches this term.
Match preview
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The fact that Dortmund have won seven of their last eight Bundesliga matches and are still seven points off the top of the table is a surprise, but they really needed to avoid defeat to Bayern on May 26.
Favre's side entered the clash at Signal Iduna Park off the back of successive wins over Schalke 04 and Wolfsburg since the return of the Bundesliga in the middle of May.
A clever finish from Joshua Kimmich decided the contest between the top two, though, meaning that BVB have serious ground to make up in Germany's top flight when it comes to challenging for the title.
Dortmund did return to winning ways in spectacular fashion last weekend, though, as they put six goals past basement side SC Paderborn, with Jadon Sancho netting a brilliant hat-trick.
The hosts will fancy their chances of picking up all three points against Hertha on Saturday and have won the last two fixtures between the two sides, including a 2-1 victory in the reverse match in Berlin.
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Hertha, though, will enter the match in good form, having won three and drawn one of their four matches since the Bundesliga resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Bruno Labbadia's side beat Hoffenheim and Union Berlin 3-0 and 4-0 respectively in their first two games last month, before picking up an impressive point away to RB Leipzig on May 27.
Hertha's strong form continued with a 2-0 success over Augsburg last weekend, and they are currently ninth in the table, just four points behind sixth-placed Wolfsburg on the same number of games.
The capital outfit have finished 10th and 11th respectively in their last two campaigns at this level but could be eyeing their highest placing since 2016-17, when they ended the season in sixth.
Dortmund Bundesliga form: WWWWLW
Dortmund form (all competitions): WLWWLW
Hertha Bundesliga form: DDWWDW
Team News
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Dortmund are again expected to be without the services of teenage forward Erling Braut Haaland due to the knee injury that he picked up in the defeat to Bayern last month.
As a result, Thorgan Hazard could again be selected as the central figure in a three-man attack which should also include Sancho and Julian Brandt.
Mats Hummels is suspended, meanwhile, meaning that Emre Can could drop into central defence, allowing Axel Witsel to start alongside Thomas Delaney in the middle of the park.
Mahmoud Dahoud, Marco Reus, Nico Schulz and Dan-Axel Zagadou are also all out for the home side, who will be at far from full-strength in Saturday's late start.
As for Hertha, Santiago Ascacibar and Marius Wolf are both on the treatment table, while Matheus Cunha and Marvin Plattenhardt remain doubts due to concussion.
The capital side did not pick up any fresh concerns against Augsburg, though, and it would not be a surprise to see the same XI sent onto the field.
Labbadia does have plenty of options for change in the forward areas, however, with Mathew Leckie and January signing Krzysztof Piatek both pushing for spots in the starting XI.
Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Burki; Piszczek, Can, Akanji; Hakimi, Witsel, Delaney, Guerreiro; Sancho, Hazard, Brandt
Hertha possible starting lineup:
Jarstein; Pekarik, Boyata, Torunarigha, Mittelstadt; Skjelbred, Grujic; Lukebakio, Darida, Dilrosun; Ibisevic
We say: Dortmund 2-1 Hertha
Hertha are certainly capable of making it a very difficult afternoon for Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, and the capital side will enter the match full of confidence due to their recent form. It is difficult to go against BVB on home soil, though, and we fancy Favre's side to pick up all three points in the narrowest of fashions.
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