Current position
Dortmund are in no mood to rest on their laurels following last season's fourth-place finish. They have spent more money than any of their German top-flight rivals this summer, having splashed out over €70 million on their squad. Die Schwarzgelben's signings include Abdou Diallo from 1. FSV Mainz 05, Thomas Delaney from SV Werder Bremen and former Eintracht star Marius Wolf – all three of whom know the Bundesliga very well. In an effort to plug the gap left by former marksman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, striker Paco Alcacer was also brought in on loan from Barcelona in a move that was hailed as Dortmund's major coup of the summer.
Form
Favre's troops have made an impressive start to the current campaign, despite needing a last-minute extra-time goal to overcome second-division SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the first round of the DFB Cup. They were much more convincing in their opening two league games, beating Leipzig 4-1 on home soil before drawing 0-0 at Hannover despite dominating the match and creating numerous chances to claim all three points.
Tactics board
Swiss tactician Favre sets his Dortmund side up in a 4-3-3 system that relies on quick wing play from fleet-footed trio Marco Reus, Christian Pulisic and Wolf. Maximilian Philipp has been deployed as the central striker so far this term, but Alcacer could replace the 24-year-old at the Signal Iduna Park on Friday.
One to watch
Mahmoud Dahoud struggled to hit the ground running during his first season at Dortmund, making just 23 appearances in the Bundesliga and registering four assists. Now the 22-year-old is back under the stewardship of Favre, the man who nurtured the midfielder at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Dahoud has already shown signs of improvement, scoring his first goal for BVB and covering more ground than any of his team-mates in the victory over Leipzig. The Syria-born player, whose broad range of skills make him ideally suited for a central midfield berth in Favre's side, will be desperate to recapture his best form this season.
