Jurgen Klopp has announced that he expects Borussia Dortmund to show 'heart and passion' when his team kicks off the new Bundesliga season at home to Werder Bremen on Friday.
The Borussians coach will be hoping for an improved performance from his team after the disappointment of losing 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the DFB Super Cup.
"The fans will be able to see that the team is playing with the same heart and the same passion for the cause", said the 45 year-old, 13 weeks after lifting their second consecutive Bundesliga title.
"We want to show that we can defend well in the early stages", he added.
Klopp's preparations for the season-opener may be hampered by the loss of a number of key players to injury, however.
Right-back Lukasz Piszczek failed to train on Wednesday with a thigh strain and may also miss tomorrow's session.
Meanwhile, star midfielder Mario Gotze is unlikely to feature from the start due to an eye infection, which also consigned him to a place on the bench against Bayern Munich.
It has been a roller-coaster ride for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic left) since he led the Barisan Nasional to victory at the May 5 general election but without achieving his own benchmark: restoring its two-thirds control of Parliament. …