A hectic week off the field will end with Borussia Dortmund returning to action on Saturday when SC Paderborn visit Signal Iduna Park.
Just a few days after it was confirmed that Jurgen Klopp will leave the club at the end of the season, the pressure is on Dortmund to finish a disappointing campaign strongly, while SC Paderborn continue their bid to avoid relegation.
Borussia Dortmund
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When Dortmund fans look back on this season they will do so with disappointment, but perhaps the 2014-15 campaign will be most remembered for Klopp's departure after seven years at the club.
During his time with Dortmund, Klopp has won two Bundesliga titles, one DFB-Pokal and guided his side to the final of the Champions League in 2013. Quite simply, he made them European giants once again.
However, the magic was not there this season as injuries and poor form prevented the squad from achieving the success they have become used to, and it should not have come as a surprise to see Klopp call it a day as he bids for a fresh start elsewhere.
Finding a replacement is certain to be a tough task, with Thomas Tuchel and Markus Weinzierl already linked with the role, but the current group of players will only be focused on finishing the season well to ensure that the manager goes out in style.
Currently sitting in 10th spot, six points behind sixth-placed Augsburg, securing a spot in next season's Europa League is still not impossible, and a fine run of form in the closing stages of the campaign could see them break into the top six, which would be an impressive recovery after spending so much time in the relegation zone.
They will need to issue a response to back-to-back losses after defeats to Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach in the past couple of weeks, and the target will be successive wins over Paderborn and Hoffenheim as they look to build momentum ahead of the DFB-Pokal semi-final with Bayern Munich later this month.
Recent form: WDDWLL
Recent form (all competitions): DLWLWL
SC Paderborn
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The spotlight is certain to be on Klopp and his Dortmund players on Saturday, but for Paderborn, it's just another vital game in their bid to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga.
A promising run of results in the autumn feels like a lifetime ago for the promoted side, and they are now staring at a disappointing finish in the battle to remain in the top flight of German football, but there was a moment for hope for Andre Breitenreiter last weekend.
If they manage to stay in the league, plenty of fans will look back at the 2-1 victory over Augsburg last weekend as a crucial moment in their campaign, and the improvement at both ends of the pitch was clear in a promising win.
A run of six matches without a win before that triumph included five defeats, but the momentum gained from beating Augsburg should boost Paderborn, who have won just one away game since early October.
Building on the result is the test for Breitenreiter's side, and they will even have one eye on 13th-placed Mainz 05, who sit just four points ahead of them as the relegation fight continues.
Recent form: LLLDLW
Team News
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If Dortmund are to get back to their best on Saturday afternoon they will have to do so without a number of their key men after Klopp confirmed that Marco Reus, Neven Subotic, Sven Bender and Nuri Sahin were among the players on a lengthy injury list.
There was also bad news this week for Sebastian Kehl, who broke a rib in training and is expected to be unavailable for two weeks, and his absence could hand an opportunity to Milos Jojic in the centre of midfield.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be moved into a wide position to make room for Ciro Immobile as Klopp considers alternative options in attack due to the injury crisis.
Paderborn have no new injury concerns, so Breitenreiter is likely to name an unchanged side from the win over Augsburg, which means that Elias Kachunga and Srdan Lakic are set to continue their partnership in attack.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Weidenfeller, Ginter, Hummels, Sokratis, Schmelzer, Jojic, Gundogan, Kagawa, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Immobile
Paderborn possible starting lineup:
Kruse, Hunemeier, Rafa, Hartherz, Heinloth, Quali, Bakalorz, Vrancic, Koc, Kachunga, Lakic
Head To Head
These two sides met for the first time in a competitive game in the reverse fixture back in November, which tells the full story of Paderborn's impressive rise in the German game.
A thrilling 2-2 draw forced the teams to share the points as Paderborn came from two goals behind with goals from Lukas Rupp and Marvin Bakalorz after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus had handed Dortmund the lead.
We say: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 SC Paderborn
Despite still being locked in a relegation battle, Paderborn should make the trip confidently after last week's win and they are certain to make life tough for Dortmund. However, the home side are keen to get back to their best form and they should sneak a win.
Callum Mulvihill
