Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund preview - Klopp belief in Borussia bounceback

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp says he is "suitably optimistic" heading into what are set to be the most difficult four months of his coaching career.

Few would have predicted the plight Dortmund find themselves in at the midway stage of the Bundesliga season.

With more defeats than any other top-flight side - a total of 10 - they are only ahead of bottom-placed Freiburg because of one single goal, yet at the same time they are into the last 16 of the Champions League.

Their domestic distress has come as a shock to everybody, not least Klopp, who guided the Westphalians to back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, reaching the Champions League final in 2013.

Those are nothing more than distant memories, however, as Dortmund travel to Bayer Leverkusen this Saturday needing points for an entirely different reason.

"We have a lot of credit to pay back," Klopp said. "We have got to take the first half of the season as an experience, not as a burden.

"I am suitably optimistic and am looking forward to this game."

Karim Bellarabi's record-breaking goal after nine seconds of the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season set the tone for Dortmund's toils.

That defeat was followed by nine more, although Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt cannot see the same thing happening over the next four months.

"It was a truly extraordinary first half of the season," he said at a press conference. "Nobody would have expected that.

"But that is history. Nobody really believes that Dortmund can have two halves of a season like that one.

"I expect it to be a very tight game with little chance to catch breath."

Schmidt comes up against a familiar face in Kevin Kampl, who joined Dortmund from RB Salzburg this winter - the club Schmidt coached up to last summer.

"I'm delighted for him because he's deserved it," Schmidt said. "He's got an impeccable character and has the class for the Bundesliga."