dpa
Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic is trying to treat this week like every other - even though his side are on the cusp of a first Bundesliga title since 2012.
The hosts will be crowned champions if they beat Mainz in Saturday’s season finale, or if they match second-placed Bayern Munich’s result at Cologne. Bayern have won the last 10 titles.
“Of course it is a very special week for us. But still, the key is not to do anything special. It’s not about demanding extraordinary things,” Terzic told a news conference on Thursday.
“We must not let it get to us too much. The pitch is just as big as last week. And the ball is just as round as last week.”
Dortmund, whose last of eight Bundesliga triumphs came under Jürgen Klopp, have a two-point lead over Bayern as Terzic eyes the title in his very first season as a permanent head coach.
“We are not there yet, but we are ready. As a team, as a club, as a city. We want to crown our journey with a win on Saturday,” he said.
Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham has a chance of being fit.
The 19-year-old England international missed last weekend’s 3-0 win at Augsburg with a knee blister but has returned to team training ahead of the season finale, which could be his last game in Black and Yellow as big European clubs circle.
“There is still a question mark over Jude,” Terzic said. “He was able to intensify his training programme. It looks quite good. We will decide at short notice.” Against Augsburg, Terzic replaced Bellingham with Portugal’s Raphaël Guerreiro, nominally a left back.
Club captain Marco Reus has been forced to come off the bench in recent matches.
Mid-table Mainz have nothing to play for but Terzic is not expecting an easy game, despite being backed by 80,000 home fans and the famed “Yellow Wall”.
“Mainz’s strengths are clearly recognizable. They are one of the fittest teams in the league and play in a very mature way,” he said.
Mainz coach Bo Svensson is a protegé of former Mainz boss Thomas Tuchel, now in charge of Bayern.
Asked if he wanted to help his mentor by beating Tuchel’s ex-side Dortmund, Svensson shrugged: “It doesn’t matter. It’s about helping ourselves.”
He has had no contact with Tuchel in recent days but wants to win to end a run of four defeats which has taken Mainz out of the race for Europe.
“The title is really none of our business,” said Svensson. “But we dont want to hand it to Dortmund.”
