Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp looking ahead: ‘We are still able to win matches’

Borussia Dortmund's goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller reacts during a Uefa Champions League group D soccer match against Anderlecht at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium in Brussels October 1, 2014. REUTERShow more

BERLIN // Borussia Dortmund are out to beat bogey side Hamburg on Saturday to break their three-match winless streak in the Bundesliga despite a flawless Uefa Champions League campaign.

Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund ran riot in a 3-0 win at Anderlecht on Wednesday as Adrian Ramos scored twice to leave them with a perfect six points from their two games after also beating Arsenal at home.

But defeats at Mainz and arch rivals Schalke, plus a 2-2 draw at home to VfB Stuttgart in their last three league matches have left Dortmund with just seven points and 12th in the table.

After only six games, Dortmund are already seven points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.

“We’ll try to show an improvement in the Bundesliga, we’re getting there step by step, but there is still a bit of work to do,” said Dortmund coach Klopp.

“Despite a few problems we are still able to win matches, starting with Saturday.”

Hamburg are Borussia’s bogey team having beaten Klopp’s team convincingly on three of the last four occasions and nothing will be taken for granted despite the Hanseatic side being bottom of the table.

Veteran midfielder Sebastian Kehl is an injury concern for Saturday with a bruised foot while captain and Germany defender Mats Hummels is expected to return to the starting line-up.

Hamburg are one of only three teams without a win this season and were hit with more bad news on Thursday when it was confirmed ex-coach Mirko Slomka has taken them to court for unfair dismissal after being sacked last month just three games into the new season.

Hanover 96 travel to Bavaria looking for their first win in Munich since 2006 with their coach Tayfun Korkut having imposed a ban on his players visiting Munich’s Oktoberfest beer festival which ends on Sunday.

Hanover are sixth in the table, but only four points adrift of leaders Bayern ahead of the Allianz Arena showdown.

Pep Guardiola’s Bayern have dropped just four points so far this season and are in confident mood having won at CSKA Moscow on Tuesday to leave them with two wins from their first Champions League matches.

And history is not on Hanover’s side.

They have conceded 27 goals and scored only twice in the seven games since their shock 1-0 win in Munich in 2006, which includes a 7-0 drubbing in 2010 and a 5-0 defeat two years ago.

“Our goal is to make Bayern do some thinking during the game, we don’t want to just defend,” said Hanover boss Korkut whose side has taken ten points from the first six games, but suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Stuttgart last Saturday.

On Sunday, Lucien Favre’s Borussia Moenchengladbach host Mainz with both sides unbeaten after their first six games.

Mainz are hoping to include the Bundesliga’s top-scorer Shinji Okazaki, but the Japan star has been labouring with a haematoma in his calf.

“We’re looking at Shinji from day to day,” said coach Kasper Hjulmand with Okazaki having scored five goals in five games this season.

German Bundesliga fixtures

Friday (in UAE time)

Hertha Berlin v Stuttgart, 10.30pm

Saturday

Bayern Munich v Hanover 96, 5.30pm

Borussia Dortmund v Hamburg, 5.30pm

Bayer Leverkusen v Paderborn, 5.30pm

Hoffenheim v Schalke 04, 5.30pm

Werder Bremen v Freiburg, 5.30pm

Eintracht Frankfurt v Cologne, 8.30pm

Sunday

VfL Wolfsburg v Augsburg, 5.30pm

Borussia Moenchengladbach v Mainz 05, 9.30pm

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