Dortmund host resurgent Hoffenheim

24.02.2016

Borussia Dortmund continue their pursuit of FC Bayern München at the top of the Bundesliga when they host a rejuvenated TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and their rookie coach Julian Nagelsmann this Sunday (kick-off 17:30CET/16:30GMT).

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Dortmund, and in particular their star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, are a force to be reckoned with at the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. Thomas Tuchel's side are unbeaten at home this season, with the Gabonese international scoring freely and taking his tally to 21 following last week's win a Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Coming out of their UEFA Europa League tie with FC Porto, Borussia will be looking to keep themselves within at least eight points distance of league leaders FC Bayern München.

Watch: Leverkusen 0-1 Dortmund highlights

They will face a Hoffenheim side who have been given fresh hope in the relegation battle after their 3-2 victory over 1. FSV Mainz 05 last weekend. It was new coach Julian Nagelsmann's first win on the Hoffenheim bench, and the 28-year-old will take heart from the fact that his team have already frustrated Dortmund this season.

Watch: Hoffenheim 3-2 Mainz highlights

History

Matchday 6 rewind: Hoffenheim 1-1 Dortmund

Matchday 23 - match stats

Dortmund are unbeaten at home this season, and have picked up an astonishing 28 points from a possible 30 on their own turf.Hoffenheim won only their third game of the season on Matchday 22. Nagelsmann became the third different manager to lead them to victory in 2015/16, after Markus Gisdol and Huub Stevens.If Hoffenheim beat Dortmund and SV Werder Bremen fail to win on Matchday 23, Hoffenheim will pull free of the automatic relegation spots for the first time since Matchday 8. Nagelsmann played for FC Augsburg's second team under current BVB coach Thomas Tuchel.Nagelsmann's four points in his first two games are a better return than six of Hoffenheim's former top-flight coaches, including Stevens, Marco Kurz, Holger Stanislawski and Markus Babbel. Aubameyang has scored in all of the last ten home games in which he has featured. He is just two games away from equalling a Bundesliga record held by Gerd Müller and Jupp Heynckes.Sebastian Rudy will celebrate his 26th birthday on the day of the game. His only goal so far this season came on Matchday 6 against Dortmund.

Possible line-ups

Dortmund: Bürki - Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels (c), Durm - Bender, Weigl - Reus, Mkhitaryan, Kagawa - Aubameyang

Absentees: Sokratis (adductor)

Hoffenheim: Baumann - Kaderabek, Schär, Süle, Ochs - Strobl - Amiri, Rudy (c) - Uth, Volland - Vargas

Absentees: Herdling (knee)