SC Paderborn 07 vs Borussia Dortmund preview - Klopp: We are not favourites

When Borussia Dortmund face Paderborn in the top flight of German for the very first time this weekend, they will not be favourites to win, according to their coach Jurgen Klopp.

Dortmund may have history on their side with five Bundesliga titles and only four years spent outside the top flight of German football, and they may have won the Champions League and World Club Cup, but that means nothing this Saturday.

They travel to a side in their maiden season at Germany's top table and with a list of honours which, in the absence of any actual silverware, was headed by a place in the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal 10 years ago.

"Just look at the league table - that forbids us from saying we are the favourites," said Klopp.

That league table currently sees the East Westphalian minnows five points and six positions above Dortmund.

"I have the utmost, utmost and again utmost respect for what they are doing," Klopp continued. "We know how difficult this task is going to be."

Nevertheless, a club of Dortmund's stature - favourite or not - must go to the Paderborn Arena with the intention of returning with three points.

"We know at the same time that this game is an opportunity for us," Klopp said.

It is also an opportunity for Paderborn to cement their newfound status as a force to be reckoned with in German football.

Their coach Andre Breitenreiter has made it a habit of repeating before every game that his side will not be favourites in any of their games this season, but Klopp's words may have prompted a rethink in his mind.

While not suggesting they should be expected to win this game, he stopped short of saying they should be expected to lose.

"We have such belief in our own strength, particularly at home," he said. "But we're going to after go the extra mile if we want to have a chance.

"We don't care about our opponents - we just want to show above all the strength that we've got."

If they are successful, there could be eight points between the two clubs after 12 games of the season, with Paderborn surprisingly on top.