Six points, two clean sheets: Dortmund face Paderborn in Bundesliga round three

Dortmund’s perfect start meets Paderborn’s search for a first win

Borussia Dortmund welcome SC Paderborn 07 to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday, September 12, with the hosts carrying a clear early advantage in the Bundesliga table. Dortmund are third with six points from two matches, five points ahead of Paderborn, who have collected one point from their opening two games. Kick-off is scheduled for 13:30 UTC.

Dortmund’s momentum is strong. Their recent form reads two wins, while Paderborn come into the fixture after a draw and a loss. The leaders, FC Augsburg, also have six points, meaning Dortmund can remain level with the summit before this round is complete. Paderborn, meanwhile, need a result to prevent the gap at the bottom end of the early table from growing.

Contrasting structures at Signal Iduna Park

Dortmund have used a 3-4-3 and a 3-4-2-1 in their two matches, suggesting a preference for a back three with flexibility in the attacking line. Paderborn have also used a 3-4-3, alongside a 3-1-4-2. That gives the visitors two clear structural options: matching Dortmund’s shape or adding an extra central presence through the single-pivot system.

The home side’s record provides an important foundation. Dortmund have won their only home match, scoring twice without conceding and keeping one clean sheet. Paderborn’s away record is unbeaten, but it is also goalless: they have drawn once on the road, scoring zero and conceding zero, with a clean sheet of their own. The meeting therefore pits Dortmund’s attacking results at home against Paderborn’s early defensive resistance away from home.

Guirassy the confirmed attacking reference

S. Guirassy is the standout goal threat identified in the scorer chart. The Dortmund forward has scored two goals and supplied one assist in two appearances, directly underlining his influence during the perfect opening. Paderborn have no player listed in the supplied scorer-chart entries, so their attacking responsibility will need to be shared across the available lineup rather than centred on a named leading scorer.

Absences add selection questions

Dortmund will be without E. Can because of a knee injury, while S. Inacio is unavailable after a red card. M. Kaba, K. Karetsas, G. Konstantelias, J. Lerma and F. Mane are also listed as missing, with injuries or health problems given as the reasons. Those absences could make the hosts value their established formations and defensive organisation even more.

Paderborn are missing T. Gayret with a knee injury, while N. Awortwie-Grant, L. Eickel, S. Klaas and S. Michel are questionable. With several players’ availability unresolved, the visitors may have to adjust their preferred shape before kick-off.

Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 SC Paderborn 07. Dortmund’s home scoring record, Guirassy’s early production and Paderborn’s lack of an away goal point towards another controlled home win.