Our next opponents: Enabler Terzic plus two and a half farewells

Position

"We appear to have made the impossible possible," rejoiced Edin Terzic. With last Sunday’s 3-1 away win at FSV Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund are confirmed as a Champions league participants for next season with one game to play in the Bundesliga. Not many people would have predicted that at the beginning of April. However, BVB turned into the team of the hour in the Bundesliga in the run-in and impressively demonstrated their quality. Borussia have won six games in succession in the league – and then there was that not completely unimportant match at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Dortmund have once again been able to call themselves DFB Cup winners for a week. The past few weeks could hardly have gone better for the Black and Yellows. For the enabler Terzic the game against the Werkself will be a farewell – or at least half a one. As it stands, the 38-year-old will be an assistant coach at Dortmund under head coach Marco Rose. Before that, it is a matter of crowning the outstanding run-in. A victory over Bayer 04 would probably keep BVB ahead of VfL Wolfsburg and secure third place.

Personnel

There will definitely be a farewell for Lukasz Piszczek on Saturday. The Pole possibly provided the most emotional images of the evening at the cup final when his teammates gave him the bumps after the final whistle. The right-back will be able to play his last game in eleven years for the Black and Yellows against Bayer 04. That is due to his recovery from the knock that kept him out of the game against Mainz. So Piszczek should get his farewell game. The situation is not the same for Marcel Schmelzer. The stalwart, who played in the Dortmund defence for years alongside Piszczek on the opposite flank, will not be able to play for Dortmund again due to a serious knee injury. He is not the only defender who will miss the season finale for BVB.

Central defender Dan-Axel Zagadou and right-back Mateu Morey have both been sidelined for a while due to serious knee injuries; the season has also come to an early end for enforcer Axel Witsel due to an Achilles injury. And goalkeeper Marwin Hitz, who has recently been between the sticks, is ruled out with a knee problem so Roman Bürki will be in goal. The only absentee up front is Youssoufa Moukoko, the youngest player in the history of the Bundesliga, who is struggling with a ligament injury.

Performers

The individual quality of BVB is particularly impressive in their attack. It becomes even more impressive when you consider the age of the front two in the cup final – Jadon Sancho (21) and Erling Haaland (20). Dortmund have at least two players in their ranks who could decisively shape world football in the coming years. At the same time, neither of them were THE key player in the BVB attack. That role was taken by Marco Reus. The upturn for Borussia was connected to the improvement of their captain who returned to long-awaited top form in time for the season run-in. Reus, Haaland, Sancho – Dortmund need not fear any team in the world with that trio.

Problems

There really haven't been many in recent weeks. One task that Marco Rose will definitely have to look at in the summer is the defending at set pieces. 16 goals conceded came from dead balls, putting them in the bottom third of the league rankings, and two of the last three goals conceded in the Bundesliga came this way. Seven of those 16 goals were conceded from corners – only two teams have had more. Perhaps Rose can make use of Werkself match videos in the summer. Bayer 04 are the only team in the Bundesliga this season not to concede a single goal from a corner with one game to play.

Prediction

A victory for Dortmund against Bayer 04 would most probably secure third place – a big performance after a mixed season that included a change of coaches. However – and the club management clearly recognise it – there is the potential for a lot more in this squad. If BVB succeed in holding on to players like Haaland and Sancho in the summer plus other BVB talents like Jude Bellingham (17) and Giovanni Reyna (18) then they will be able to continue their rapid development with the Black and Yellows competing at the top at both national and European levels.