Borussia Dortmund vs Wolfsburg preview - Klopp targets strong finish to 2014

Posted Tuesday, December 16, 2014 by PA

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has vowed his team will be "totally committed" to ending 2014 with two much-needed wins.

The Westphalians face second-placed Wolfsburg on Wednesday night needing a win to pull away from the Bundesliga relegation zone before heading to Werder Bremen at the weekend.

Both games are of paramount importance for a club so used to be in the position their opponents are in now, but further from it than they have been in well over a decade.

"We are all aware of how important the final week of football in 2014 is," Klopp told reporters.

"We've got to make it a gift to our club and to our fans. Our duty is to get the most out of it, and I can promise we will be totally committed."

Dortmund's domestic form has had everybody puzzled in Germany and beyond.

While they breezed to a place in the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Juventus in a repeat of the 1997 final in February and March, their Bundesliga season has failed to take off.

Back-to-back wins at home, both regarded as turning points in the season, have been followed by further disappointments away. Yet at least they have been winning in front of their own fans.

"The best news is we're playing at the Westfalenstadion," Klopp added. "I just hope the fans will once again create the kind of atmosphere that you really cannot expect in the situation we are in."

Klopp will have to find a replacement for the injured Henrikh Mkhitaryan while Kevin Grosskreutz has been restored to his squad after being omitted at the weekend.

"I hope he shows that the break did him good," said Klopp.

Wolfsburg could only get a 1-1 draw against Paderborn on Sunday, despite dominating their opponents.

That result saw them drop nine points behind Bayern, who can extend that gap to 12 on Tuesday night, and keeping as close as possible ahead of Bayern's visit to the VW-Arena at the Bundesliga restart next month is their priority.

Ivica Olic was rested at the weekend, but he should return while Ricardo Rodriguez is also expected to be restored at left full-back after coach Dieter Hecking fielded a weakened team for what was regarded as an easier fixture.