Can Niko Kovac rebuild Borussia Dortmund?
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A period of transition was expected at Dortmund this term, with Nuri Sahin appointed to replace Edin Terzic in the summer. However, a pivot in plans has already been seen this term after the former star was sacked following a poor run of results in late January.
The huge challenge of reversing the team’s fortunes now rests with Niko Kovac, who was formally announced as the new Dortmund coach at the start of February. But can the Croatian rebuild the German side mid-season, and achieve a European finish in 2024-25?
Kovac brings proven pedigree
Kovac was not a gamble, like rolling the dice in the Joe Fortune casino. It was actually a popular selection by the Dortmund hierarchy to replace Sahin, and he brings a wealth of Bundesliga experience to Signal Iduna Park, having played in the German top-flight and coached at the highest level.
Kovac’s main period of success came with Eintracht Frankfurt, winning the DFB Pokal in 2018, before taking the role at Bayern Munich. His stay at the Bavarian giants would be cut short, despite winning the domestic double in 2019.
Since his stay with Bayern, Kovac endured a mixed period during a two-year stint with AS Monaco. However, it is worth noting that he guided the Ligue 1 club into the Champions League.
A return to Germany followed in 2022 with Wolfsburg, but tensions between himself and board members led to his departure in March 2024.
How will Kovac approach Dortmund matches?
Kovac has often required high intensity from his players throughout his managerial career, and that is expected to be no different at Dortmund.
The Croatian has typically implemented either a 4-2-3-1 formation or a 4-3-3 setup. The former has been a preferred choice since taking the job at Dortmund, with the current squad ensuring that he has energetic stars at the top end of the field.
However, there are clearly concerns surrounding the midfielders, with Marcel Sabitzer and Pascal Gross lacking the mobility for a full-field pressing style of play.
But, Kovac had been supported by the club during the winter window in terms of energetic midfielders, with Carney Chukwuemeka brought in on a loan deal from Chelsea.
Mixed fortunes in first matches
Kovac’s appointment is yet to spark a response from the players, as Dortmund have suffered defeats in each of his two Bundesliga matches in charge. The latest of those was an extremely poor showing against relegation-threatened Bochum, with Dortmund suffering a 2-0 loss on the road.
Away form continues to be a major issue for the club at this stage of the season, as they have recorded just two wins in eleven matches away from Signal Iduna Park, and have conceded 23 goals in the process.
Their attack has also stuttered on the road this season, scoring just 12 goals compared to the 25 that have been registered in home matches.
The failure to reverse league form has seen Dortmund drop to eleventh in the overall standings, meaning a shock finish in the bottom half of the standings is hard to rule out at this stage of the campaign. But, there is a sense that things could improve over the coming weeks, as Dortmund have a straightforward run of matches between now and the middle of April.
Across that period, the German side hosted both Union Berlin and Augsburg, and also travelled to St. Pauli. Getting back on track during this period is vital, and could ultimately be the difference between finishing in a European place in the Bundesliga this term.
Champions League offers hope
It could be argued that Dortmund’s best route back into Europe in 2024-25 could come in the form of winning the Champions League. The German side enjoyed an excellent run to the final of the competition last season before losing at Wembley against Real Madrid.
Dortmund’s best performance since Kovac’s appointment came in the competition in the playoff round, as they defended excellently in Lisbon before smashing three late goals to secure a dominant 3-0 win over Sporting. That was clearly the best performance that Dortmund have produced since the appointment of the Croatian, and it is easy to claim that their best displays in 2024-25 have come in Europe throughout the campaign.
Dortmund only narrowly missed out on a top eight place in the opening round, but they ended the League Phase as one of the best attacking teams after scoring 22 goals. A standout win was achieved against Celtic, securing a 7-1 success at Signal Iduna Park.
They also held their own against some of the best teams in Europe in the opening round, pushing Real Madrid close for a long time, before losing 3-2 against Barcelona. At the very least, those performances will offer hope that Dortmund could enjoy an extended run in the Champions League in the second half of the season.
