Tuchel ushers Dortmund back to the well after Bayern triumph

Thomas Tuchel wants Borussia Dortmund to end their marathon month of April on a high.

Dortmund host Cologne in the Bundesliga on Saturday in what will be their ninth game in the space of 29 days.

This period took in Champions League elimination at the hands of Monaco, but Tuchel’s men bounced back with a 3-2 win at Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend before seeing off rivals Bayern Munich by the same scoreline in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal.

Marcos Reus opened the scoring for Dortmund, but Javi Martinez and Mats Hummels had Carlo Ancelotti’s side ahead before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele capped a thrilling turnaround.

“Such special victories are the best confirmation,” Tuchel told a news conference on Friday. “They give a lot of self-confidence and help with the coming challenges.

“We must continue to exert ourselves in the league with all our energy and go beyond boarders. Otherwise it will not be enough against a very difficult opponent.

“Now we have to focus on the league and put the cup final aside. It’s really nice that the 34th matchday [in the Bundesliga] is not the last game of the season.

“We need mental readiness. We can nurse our wounds afterwards.”

Sven Bender and Sokratis Papastathopoulos are doubtful after picking up knocks against Bayern, while Germany midfielder Julian Weigl will be assessed.

Marc Bartra has resumed running in training after suffering a broken wrist when Dortmund’s team bus was targeted by explosions ahead of the first leg of the quarter-final tie with Monaco.

The main suspect in the bombing, identified as ‘Sergej W’, has been charged with attempted murder, causing an explosion and inflicting dangerous bodily harm but denied his involvement on Friday.

His lawyer Reinhard Treimer told SID: “My client denies the act. That’s what he told the judge and what he told me.

“At the moment it is [being] investigated whether the things found at the scene of the crime can be traced back to him.

“This will be decisive for whether the allegations are more concrete. Nearly everything depends on this.”