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Dortmund take on Bremen in Bundesliga's pre-Christmas climax

Ross DunbarDecember 19, 2014

In the last weekend of action before the winter break, Borussia Dortmund have one last chance to move out of the Bundesliga's bottom three before Christmas. But the same goes for Bremen who will be just as hungry.

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Jürgen Klopp
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The curtain comes down on a torrid 2014 for Borussia Dortmund at the weekend with a trip to strugglers Werder Bremen. Dortmund have been fumbling around in the bottom-three for the last three weeks, having endured a spell as the league's bottom club. It's been a remarkable implosion from a team which featured in the 2013 Champions League final and finished second last season.

A driven performance at home to Wolfsburg in midweek should have led to three points, but Dortmund's frailties were on show at either end of the park: not enough goals are being scored and too many are being conceded.

"First, we are still alive. Secondly, we can play football. Thirdly, we haven't forgot how to fight," noted Klopp.

Marco Reus
Marco Reus has had a tough week, but he is still out injured for his teamImage: Getty Images/M. Rose

It remains to be seen though whether the fresh controversy surrounding BVB player Marco Reus, who has been handed a huge fine for driving without a license, will affect the team's focus on the weekend.

Their opponents on Saturday, basement boys Werder Bremen, have grappled with the harsh financial realities of not playing regular European football over the last few seasons.

Former U23 coach Viktor Skripnik has taken on the head coaching role and made a decent impact on an average team that, on paper, would be automatic relegation candidates. Skripnik has introduced a handful of young players who have spiced the team up with some pace and skill. But Bremen are three games without a win, despite scoring 10 goals in their last four outings.

"We are in the cellar, and are last, so of course we're all very dissatisfied," he added. Even against a team of Dortmund's caliber, Bremen have to dig a route out of this hole - and fast.

Relegation six-pointer in Stuttgart

As highlighted in this week's Six Bundesliga Talking Points for Week 16Talking Points,# each club from 10th to 18th are mired in a relegation battle at the moment. While there are 17 games to go after the New Year, the lack of consistency and star quality in any of the bottom-half teams will become a concern.

Stuttgart player is sent off
Stuttgart's 1-0 win perhaps was not reflective of their performance in HamburgImage: Getty Images/S. Franklin

Paderborn will be looking to snatch some valuable points versus relegation rivals VfB Stuttgart who have the poorest home record in the division.

There are obvious disadvantages for Paderborn: the newly-promoted club have the lowest budget in the league and the novelty factor seems to have worn off.

Andre Breitenreiter's team have been on downward spiral with the barren run in the Bundesliga extending to six games now without a win. Last weekend's 1-1 draw in Wolfsburg was welcomed, albeit fortuitous considering the dominance of the home team.

But for Stuttgart, the quality is there in abundance - the club's annual budget should put them in the top half of the league. Huub Stevens, the current coach, was appointed last season to save the club from the drop and the former Schalke boss has been tasked with repeating those feats.

For one of these teams, something has to give on Saturday afternoon.

Champions League battle

Elsewhere, normality is returning in the German top-flight with Borussia Mönchengladbach now holding third place and Bayer Leverkusen in fourth.

The Foals head to sixth-placed Augsburg looking to potentially close the gap to Wolfsburg who take on Cologne in Saturday evening's late game. Schalke, one point behind Leverkusen and Gladbach, will welcome relegation-threatened Hamburg.

Friday's clash sees Bayern Munich, runaway league leaders, take on Mainz, while on Sunday Hertha Berlin take on Hoffenheim and SC Freiburg face Hannover.