PREVIEW: Dortmund need to deliver against Hanover

Borussia Dortmund must finally deliver again on the home stretch if they don't want to throw away what appeared to be a certain Bundesliga title.
Dortmund's once massive lead has been chopped down to seven points as they have managed to win only five of the 10 games since the winter break, drawing four others and losing one.

Now they post third-placed Hanover 96 on Saturday and can't afford another slip-up after failing to turn their dominance in recent games into points.

"We were simply unlucky in our games in Kaiserslautern and Mainz," said defender Neven Subotic in reference to 1-1 draws in which Dortmund conceded late equalizers on both occasions.

"Even in our bad games in the second half of the season we were at least as good as our opponents, in the other ones a little better or even much better."

Dortmund top the bill with 62 points from Bayer Leverkusen (55) and surprise package Hanover, who are enjoying the best season in club history with 50 points to date.

"This game is a huge challenge, we need to defend our position," said Hanover coach Mirko Slomka.

Hanover have a golden opportunity as third place would grant them a place in Champions League qualifying.

But they are under threat from champions Bayern Munich, who are just two points behind and desperate to salvage their season by getting into the continental showcase event which next season culminates in the final in Munich's home stadium.

Munich host bottom club Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday and will hope that the game in Dortmund goes in their favour to move ahead of Hanover with a victory of their own.

"We have the aim of at least reaching third place. We must achieve that," said captain Philipp Lahm.

An interested observer from a distance will be Jupp Heynckes, who will be Munich coach from next season onwards in succession of Louis van Gaal. Heynckes is currently in charge of Leverkusen and the club is convinced he will see out his final weeks there in style.

"He is not only a top coach, he is a real sportsman," said Leverkusen sports director Rudi Voeller of Heynckes.

Leverkusen are at lowly Kaiserslautern in the first game since Heynckes announced the Munich move last week; the latest chapter in an unprecedented merry-go-round of coaches which also adds spice to the weekend round.

On Sunday, second-from-bottom Wolfsburg, with Felix Magath back in charge after his Schalke exit, take on number 14 Eintracht Frankfurt under new helmsman Christoph Daum, who has replaced Michael Skibbe.

The other games are St pauli Hamburg v Schalke (Friday), Werder Bremen v VfB Stuttgart, Mainz v SC Freiburg, Hoffenheim v SV Hamburg (Saturday) and Cologne v Nuremberg (Sunday).