Dortmund braced for game of the season

European goal
Sitting 13th in the standings, Dortmund would take a giant step towards UEFA Cup qualification should they beat their 2. Bundesliga opponents in front of their own fans. Indeed, if league leaders FC Bayern München prevail at home to VfL Wolfsburg in the second semi-final on Wednesday, the winner of tonight's tie would be assured of European football next term. The six-time German champions start as clear favourites and Dortmund president Reinhard Rauball is demanding a professional performance, saying: "If, in the middle of a poor campaign like this, you are presented with an opportunity to qualify for Europe, it's vitally important not to pass it up."

'Thriving under pressure'
Two years ago Eintracht Frankfurt secured a UEFA Cup berth despite losing to eventual league champions Bayern in the cup final. Should Dortmund emulate that achievement, or even lift the trophy, it would alleviate the pressure that has been building on coach Thomas Doll. "There is huge pressure on us, but we are thriving on it," Doll said. "Our goal is to reach the final in Berlin and we are close to succeeding."

International pedigree
UEFA Champions League winners in 1997, Dortmund possess considerable international pedigree having also become the first German club to win continental silverware when they lifted the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1966. Qualifying for Europe has become a necessity for a club that boasts an average home attendance of 74,000 and has high-profile internationals like Alexander Frei and Mladen Petrić on their payroll.

Lacklustre campaign
They may, however, find the going harder than expected against a Jena team who continue to save their best performances for the cup. Jena are also enduring a lacklustre league campaign and look set to drop back down to the third tier just two years after earning promotion. However, they too would cherish a UEFA Cup campaign having become the first East German team to reach a European final in 1981, eventually falling to FC Dinamo Tbilisi in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

'It's over'
The club's recent history has been less glamorous. They have been travelling between Germany's second and fourth divisions for many years, and Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Kickers Offenbach FC has left them eleven points from 2. Bundesliga safety. "It's over now," coach Henning Bürger conceded. "We are well on our way to the third flight and the mood within the team could hardly be any lower."

Top-flight victims
Bürger's team have, though, defeated three Bundesliga sides on their way to the semi-finals, ousting holders 1. FC Nürnberg, DSC Arminia Bielefeld and champions VfB Stuttgart. With Dortmund firmly in their sights Bürger remains optimistic, saying: "It will be similar to the Stuttgart game, we know we won't get many chances. But we have to make sure we take them when they come along."