Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund: Durm calls for one last push

Borussia Dortmund defender Erik Durm has urged his team-mates to maintain the momentum they have built up when their bid to qualify for the UEFA Europa League continues at Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Dortmund climbed to seventh with a 2-0 home win over Hertha Berlin last week, with rare goals from Neven Subotic and Durm giving them all three points.

The German giants sat bottom of the table at stages during the first half of the campaign, but a strong finish sees them in contention for a berth in Europe’s second-tier competition next season.

Dortmund lie two points adrift of sixth-placed Schalke but face tough tests against second-placed Wolfsburg, and Werder Bremen, in eighth, to end the campaign.

Jurgen Klopp will finish his time in charge of Dortmund at the DFB-Pokal final in Berlin against the same opponents.

But this will be far from a dress rehearsal given what it is at stake for Dortmund, while Wolfsburg also have plenty to play for as they are just two points above Borussia Monchengladbach.

Durm told Dortmund’s official website: “We need to keep this run going.

“We’re in super form and haven’t lost a single one of our last five matches. Let’s not forget the [DFB-Pokal] semi-final win over Bayern.

“Now it’s all in our own hands and that’s very important for us. Next, we need to and want to win our last two Bundesliga matches.

“That’s our objective, and then [hopefully] we can finish our season on a high note [in Berlin] and give the coach the farewell he deserves.”

Dortmund are unbeaten in their last four Bundesliga matches but have won just four away matches this season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in good goalscoring form, with a late-season flourish seeing him take his tally to 14 for the season. Only four Bundesliga players – including Wolfsburg’s Bas Dost with 16 – have netted more.

Wolfsburg won 3-1 at Paderborn last time out to end a three-match winless streak in the Bundesliga, with Dost helping himself to a double.

Dieter Hecking’s side have enjoyed an excellent campaign with the likes of Dost, Kevin De Bruyne, Daniel Caligiuri and Ricardo Rodriguez key to their success.

This meeting earlier in the season saw Wolfsburg come from behind twice to snatch a 2-2 draw at Signal-Iduna Park. Defender Naldo netted an 85th-minute equaliser for the visitors.

Dortmund knocked Wolfsburg out of the DFB-Pokal in the semi-finals last season with a 2-0 victory.

But Wolfsburg do not have to look too far back for their last win over Dortmund, as Rodriguez and Ivica Olic scored in the second half of a 2-1 league success in November 2013.