08.01.2010

Dress rehearsal under cover

The dress rehearsal for next Saturday's Bundesliga restart against VfL Bochum (BORUSSIA PARK, 1530 CET) will take place under roof cover.

Borussia are competing in the Stadtwerke Düsseldorf Winter Cup, a tournament being staged by Fortuna Düsseldorf at the Esprit Arena, for the second time this Sunday. In view of the weather, the stadium roof will remain closed and the temperature inside the Arena will be raised to 18°C, which will benefit not only the players but also the more than 20,000 fans who are expected to attend. A new pitch has also just been laid.

The conditions are likely to please Borussia coach Michael Frontzeck just as much as the quality of the opposition his side will face. The opening game pits home side Fortuna Düsseldorf against Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen at 1400 CET, with Borussia taking on German champions VfL Wolfsburg an hour later. All matches in the Winter Cup are played over 45 minutes.

Semi-final against the German champions

Though the Wolves have failed to live up to their own expectations so far, having ended the first half of the season in eighth place with 24 points from their 17 games (just three more than Borussia), Armin Veh's side remain formidable opponents. Wolfsburg have a host of quality players, especially in attack, as Borussia found to their cost in a 2-1 away defeat on Matchday 9. Frontzeck said: "We're playing the German champions. What more do I need to say? The players all got 90 minutes of action during our training camp and we'll be playing with two teams in Düsseldorf as well. So everyone will have had one-and-half games. I think we'll be well prepared after that."

Borussia's one and only appearance in the Winter Cup so far saw them win the tournament in 2007.