Niko Kovac: 'We won’t be foolish to think it’s over'
Niko Kovac's tenure at Borussia Dortmund has already seen ups and downs—a loss to Stuttgart, a dominant 3-0 win over Sporting, and a disappointing 2-0 derby defeat to Bochum. Now, Dortmund return to the Champions League, aiming to secure their last-16 spot while regaining confidence.
Kovac has emphasised the need to cut out costly mistakes: “In two league games, we’ve allowed an opposing striker to go through on goal three times. We don’t make many mistakes, but the ones we do make are massive and cost us dearly.” He stressed the importance of positivity: “It’s about resetting the mindset. We need to fill our heads with positive thoughts.”
Despite Sporting missing key players, Kovac is not taking the game lightly: “It’s only halftime. We won’t be foolish to think it’s over. This is a great opportunity for their other players to prove themselves—they will be fresh, motivated, and full of energy.”
With Dortmund unlikely to make major changes, Julian Ryerson is expected to return at right-back, while Ramy Bensebaini and Carney Chukwuemeka have resumed training but are not yet ready to start. Looking ahead, Kovac remains focused on building consistency: “We are trying to give the players confidence and create automatisms. They need to feel that trust.”
