Facts preview: the league's highest-scoring fixture | OneFootball

The scenario: Third against second. Just one place, but eight points separate the two clubs. Borussia Dortmund have lost only one of their last 20 Bundesliga matches, while VfB have lost just one of their last 14.

Home/away: VfB have the third best home record (ten wins, two draws, one defeat), while BVB have the second best away record (seven wins, five draws, one defeat).

Head-to-head: Between 2010 and 2023, the Black & Yellows lost just one of 11 away games at the Neckar, winning eight of those 11 encounters. However, after 111 Bundesliga meetings, the overall record is negative, with 41 wins to 44 defeats (25 draws). This is because BVB have not beaten VfB in six games.

Statistics: Borussia Dortmund celebrated their 18th win of the season with a 3-2 victory over HSV on the last matchday, meaning they have already won more matches than in the whole of last season. Kovac’s side have 61 points to their name. Only once in Bundesliga history has a team in second place had more points at this stage – and that was Borussia themselves in 2015/16 (64). VfB climbed to third place thanks to their 5-2 away win in Augsburg – a position the Swabians have not occupied since matchday 8.

Last season: In front of 60,000 spectators at the sold-out MHP Arena, VfB took the lead as early as the fourth minute through Deniz Undav. Ermedin Demirovic then made it 2-0 in the 21st minute and they came close to scoring a third on several occasions. It was only towards the end of the first half that the tide turned. Borussia fought their way back into the game with personnel and tactical changes but conceded a third goal from a corner (Enzo Millot in the 62nd minute). And even the hope sparked by Serhou Guirassy’s goal to make it 1-3 in the 75th minute lasted only five minutes as Stuttgart’s Touré then scored to make the final score 4-1.

Reverse fixture: 81,365 spectators in a sold-out, sunny but bitterly cold SIGNAL IDUNA PARK saw a BVB side that took a good 20 minutes to get into the game. However, goals from Emre Can (34, penalty) and Maximilian Beier (41) saw BVB go into the break 2-0 up, having recorded 12 shots on goal, compared to two by their opponents after 45 minutes. But BVB let the game slip from their grasp once again. Deniz Undav pulled one back in the 47th minute and equalised 20 minutes from time to make it 2-2. Karim Adeyemi did score in the 89th minute to make it 3-2, but Undav netted his third goal in stoppage time to seal a 3-3 draw.

Biggest away win: On 16 March 1996, BVB triumphed 5-0 on the banks of the Neckar. After 30 minutes and with an early lead to their name (Kalle Riedle, 17), the Borussia side grew increasingly dominant. The outstanding Matthias Sammer and Michael Zorc (one goal and one assist each) constantly drove the team forward. Up front, Riedle and Stéphane Chapuisat (two goals, one assist) grew in intensity with every passing minute, while Lars Ricken (one goal, one assist) repeatedly joined the attack.Compiled by Boris Rupert