Dortmund coach Favre: We don't think about that 4-0 loss to Bayern
Dortmund coach insists they have transformed since losing 4-0 to Bavarian side earlier this season
Borussia Dortmund may have suffered a 4-0 drubbing when they met Bayern Munich last November, but coach Lucien Favre believes things would be different in their top-of-the-table clash tomorrow morning (Singapore time).
The Swiss tactician insisted that his team, who are four points behind leaders Bayern, have transformed into a stronger side, following the arrival of Emre Can and Erling Haaland in the January transfer window.
| B. DORTMUND | BAYERN MUNICH |
"We do not think back to that first game. We have forgotten it. We did not play well," Favre said yesterday.
"We now play a system that better fits our squad and we have also brought in Emre Can and Erling Haaland as reinforcements in the winter, who have further increased our quality."
Haaland, 19, has taken the Bundesliga by storm with 10 goals in his first 10 matches.
Dortmund, however, will also need to stop Bayern from adding to their record haul of 80 goals this season, 27 of which have come from the red-hot Robert Lewandowski.
Dortmund's task will be aided by the expected return of defender Mats Hummels and midfielder Axel Witsel at the Signal Iduna Park, which will be empty due to Covid-19 control measures.
The hosts will still be without injured captain Marco Reus and defender Dan-Axel Zagadou.
Favre believes that Hummels, who won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern, will recover in time, while fit-again Witsel is available for selection, having not played since the league restarted on May 16.
Hummels was replaced by Can at half-time in last Saturday's 2-0 win at Wolfsburg due to a nagging heel injury.
"We will have to see at the last minute but I think it will be all right, 99 per cent Mats will be there. Axel trained yesterday with the team again and could be in the squad," said Favre
Earlier, Favre had told goal.com that there are still doubts over Jadon Sancho.
The 20-year-old English forward, who had a calf issue, came on as a 65th-minute substitute against Wolfsburg and racked up his 16th assist of the season, setting up Achraf Hakimi for Dortmund's second goal.
Dortmund will need all the help they can get against the in-form Bavarians, who like them have won their six league games in a row, including the two since the restart.
Last Sunday, Bayern thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2, thanks to goals from Leon Goretzka, Thomas Mueller, Lewandowski, Alphonso Davies and an own goal from Martin Hinteregger.
Coach Hansi Flick, who said Jerome Boateng will partner David Alaba in central defence, also believes that this will be a different game from their 4-0 win six months ago.
"We are on a good run and have lost only twice in the last 23 games and drawn once. We relish this game, " he said.
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