How do Dortmund and Leverkusen stack up?

After Leverkusen were beaten 2-1 at home in the Bundesliga on Saturday evening, Dortmund are to host the teams' immediate rematch in the cup.

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Defences looking to dominate

Both sides were boosted ahead of their first meeting with big wins in the UEFA Champions League. While Leverkusen's heroic victory at Manchester City and Dortmund's commanding win over Villarreal were both statement successes, probably the most pleasing element to them for Kasper Hjulmand and Niko Kovač would have been the respective clean sheets.

Managing to shut out Erling Haaland & Co - even if the former Dortmund striker didn't appear until the second half - was a massive achievement. Yet it was very much a logical consequence of the steeliness Leverkusen have gained under the Dane, who took charge in September.

While Leverkusen were unable to shut out BVB's attacking talents at the weekend, having also claimed a clean sheet in their previous Champions League tie away at Benfica will give them confidence of delivering a defensive masterclass in Dortmund.

Dortmund, for their part, boast the second fewest goals conceded in the Bundesliga this season (11), six fewer than Leverkusen's total. Kovač has made dogged defending a hallmark of their play and a steely back three kept Leverkusen at bay for long stretches of the Bundesliga encounter - with 20-year-old Aarón Anselmino also heading Dortmund into the lead with his first Bundesliga goal. 

A delighted Kovač said afterwards that the Chelsea loanee "fights with crusader spirit".

Watch: Kovač's Dortmund flip tactical switch

Gloved wonders

The foundation to any strong defence is a sharp goalkeeper, and should the cup clash become a tight battle, a super stop or two could well decide the outcome. Gregor Kobel has been a dependable presence between the sticks for Dortmund for years, and has already claimed six clean sheets in the league this season while also starring in a penalty shootout win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the last round of the DFB Cup.

Mark Flekken has meanwhile settled into his new side well since joining Leverkusen in the summer. The Dutchman's seven saves in Manchester - many of which were quite stunning - earned him UEFA Player of the Match honours. Flekken also made two crucial saves to keep his side in the league encounter with Dortmund, including stopping a close-range header from an unmarked Serhou Guirassy.

Watch: Flekken denies Guirassy

Men in the middle

They may not attract as much hype as other members of their teams, but much of Leverkusen and Dortmund's strong form this season can be attributed to the tireless central midfield pair of Felix Nmecha and Aleix García.

García cut a supremely composed figure against his former club in Manchester, having stepped into the fore this season after the departure of Granit Xhaka and injury to Exequiel Palacios. Ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga clash, the Spaniard had won a commanding 62% of his challenges so far in the season and hit more passes than anyone else in the division (1039) - while only Alejandro Grimaldo has provided more than his three assists in a Leverkusen jersey. He was the hardest-running Leverkusen player against Dortmund, clocking 7.5 miles (12 km).

Now in his third season at Dortmund, Nmecha has shown signs of becoming the all-action midfield general he has long been considered to have the skillset for. Ahead of the league meeting, he had won 53 percent of his duels, clocked an impressive top speed of 21.2 mph (34.1 km/h) and averaged a good 7.2 miles (11.6 km) of ground per 90 minutes. 

Glorious goalgetters

If the capable men behind them all do their job, the clash could just come down to a battle of the immense firepower of Patrik Schick and Guirassy.

Watch: Patrik Schick - the making of Leverkusen's super striker

The duo both looked at their deadliest last week as Schick sealed the sensational win in Manchester and Guirassy bagged a brace to send Dortmund on their way to three points against Villarreal. The Czech striker's 21 goals for Leverkusen last season came at a greater frequency (every 80 minutes of play on average) than even Harry Kane.

Guirassy has matched Schick's five strikes in the Bundesliga in the current term. With neither strike star netting in the league encounter, they must be raring to make their mark on the cup clash.

Watch: Dortmund beat Leverkusen in Bundesliga - highlights

If the defences can get a handle on the star frontmen, both sides also pack raw pace from the likes of Ernest Poku and Karim Adeyemi. Poku proved tough for Dortmund to get a handle on at times on Saturday, while Adeyemi netted his third goal in three matches in all competitions with a clinical header.

The experienced attacking craftsmen of Jonas Hofmann and Julian Brandt are also threats, with Brandt no doubt ready to put things right after missing a pair of chances that could have put Dortmund 3-0 up on Saturday. 

With a quarter-final spot at stake for two sides who would be capable of going all the way to lift the cup in May, another titanic tussle awaits.