Borussia Dortmund are building momentum at exactly the right time, with the Klassiker against Bayern Munich looming on Saturday as the defining test of their title credentials. The two clubs are level on 17 points after seven Bundesliga games, separated only by goal difference, setting up a genuine top-of-the-table collision at the Allianz Arena.

The week has reinforced both the promise and the fragility within Niko Kovac's squad. A 3-2 DFB-Pokal victory over Werder Bremen on Tuesday kept the cup run alive, though the match was far from comfortable. Bremen twice pulled level after BVB led 2-0, and it took a late Marcel Sabitzer goal to settle the tie. Kovac was visibly frustrated by the referee's decision to award Bremen a penalty, confronting the official directly after the final whistle.

Felix Nmecha remains a concern. The midfielder has struggled for consistency all season and was substituted before the hour mark against Frankfurt the previous weekend. Kovac has hinted that Jobe Bellingham could start in his place, and a spell on the bench may be what Nmecha needs to rediscover his best form.

In the background, defender Ramy Bensebaini is out of contract at the end of the season, with no extension talks reported. The club also continues to monitor Polish midfielder Marcel Regula as a potential winter signing. For now, though, all focus turns to Munich and a fixture that could shape the entire Bundesliga season.