BVB U23s set to host Energie Cottbus | OneFootball

Head-to-head: This is only the fourth time the two teams have met. So far, the Black & Yellows are unbeaten, with two wins and a draw. In the reverse fixture, Cottbus snatched a late 3-3 draw in injury time.

From the U23s: The mood in the Borussia camp has improved significantly of late, with four points from their last two games. Another reason for this is the return of top scorer Julian Hettwer (12 goals), who was the match winner on Wednesday with his decisive goal in Verl. "Julian's return gives the whole team an extra boost. The experiences of this week meant we had a different body language in training on Thursday," says Jan Zimmermann. Apart from the three goals conceded in the game against Ingolstadt, his team has been solid and stable defensively for weeks. The head coach would like to build on this against Cottbus: "Not many teams have managed to keep a clean sheet against Verl – but we have," said Zimmermann happily. At the end of the English week, the U23s have the chance to build up an important cushion in the race to avoid relegation in the final stretch of the season.

Facts and figures about the opposition: With six matches remaining, four clubs have pulled ahead in the race for promotion to the Bundesliga 2. Energie Cottbus are among them, with 55 points, five points behind league leaders Dresden, one point behind DFB-Pokal finalists Arminia Bielefeld, and level on points with fourth-placed Saarbrücken in the relegation play-off spot. However, the situation for Cottbus has worsened after their 5-1 defeat away to 1860 Munich and the 1-0 defeat against Rot-Weiss Essen. "After the results of the week, Energie are under a fair amount of pressure, so I expect a high level of intensity. We need the points to stay in the league, and Cottbus need them to get promoted. We are facing a well-rounded and very tough team with a lot of quality," says Jan Zimmermann about Cottbus. Dortmund's defence, which has been so strong recently, will face an attack led by Timmy Thiele, a former Borussia player. With 13 goals and seven assists, the now 33-year-old leads his team in both statistical metrics. Since Matchday 16, Energie have constantly been among the top three in the 3. Liga and have led the table at several points of the season.