After a demanding 120 minutes of cup play, the squad has had a crucial four-day rest period before heading to Manchester.Head coach Niko Kovac is looking to inject fresh legs into the lineup, though some changes are dictated by necessity. Nico Schlotterbeck is set to return, taking the place of Aaron Anselmino. Anselmino, after a meaningful layoff, played 45 minutes in Frankfurt and a full 90 in Augsburg, covering an notable 12 kilometers as a centre-back.Kovac stated Anselmino “will not play tomorrow because we have to give the lad time.” Julian Brandt has been sidelined, as has Niklas Süle due to a toe injury. Kovac cited a “muscular imbalance” for Brandt,emphasizing that “the risk would have been too great.”
pascal Gross, a seasoned veteran of English football with 12 appearances against Manchester City between 2017 and 2024, joined Kovac at the press conference. Gross believes the Citizens are “more beatable than they were years ago.” He noted that “many established players who were instrumental in City’s success for several years have left the club,” but acknowledged they “still have world-class players in their ranks.” One such player is former Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland. Gross described him as “an absolute world-class player who is currently putting up remarkable numbers. We have to stop him as a team.” However, he quickly added, “But City have enormous quality in every position, wich is why we have to play our game: defend together and attack together.”
Facing the second-ranked team in the world’s premier league,the Bundesliga’s third-place contenders will need to dig deep and focus heavily on defense. However, Kovac sees potential opportunities in the Champions League. “It’s true that you can have a lot more space in the Champions League and maybe a little more time,” he explained. “That means my players will have the time to show their quality.” The head coach confirmed his team won’t be adopting a purely defensive stance. “We have to defend against City’s strengths as a unit – and one of them is certainly Erling Haaland up front. But I stand by my opinion: we still have to defend high up the pitch, because the higher you are, the higher you can win the ball and the further away the opponent is from the goal.”
Fans can catch the match live on DAZN and BVB Netradio on Wednesday evening. BVB Netradio will also be hosting a watch party from their new studio in Dortmund, offering exclusive insights and reactions from the stadium starting at 8:30 PM CET.
