Kovac Demands Dortmund Response After Bodo/Glimt Champions League Loss
Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League defeat in Norway has left Niko Kovac demanding a far sharper response when his side visit Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday. The 55-year-old had signed a new contract running to June 2029 earlier in the week, but his first match after the extension ended in a 1-0 loss in the Arctic Circle.
Fredrik Sjovold settled Wednesday’s contest seven minutes after half-time, arriving to meet Sondre Auklend’s delivery and beating Gregor Kobel at the goalkeeper’s near post. Dortmund had been under pressure well before the decisive goal, with Sondre Fet, Jens Petter Hauge and Andreas Helmersen prominent during an opening period controlled by the home side.
Kovac made four substitutions on the hour, sending on Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy, Julian Ryerson and Ethan Nwaneri. The changes finally gave Dortmund a foothold, and Nmecha and Nwaneri both tested Nikita Haikin during a late spell of pressure. Haikin, however, preserved the lead with a series of important saves.
The Dortmund coach accepted that his selection and his players had fallen short. He said the team only began to compete properly after conceding, having lacked the necessary emotion, work rate and quality in the first half. Kovac also said responsibility rested with him after rotating his line-up, despite believing every member of the squad is capable of starting.
He was particularly frustrated by Dortmund’s use of the ball. Kovac felt the Norwegian side played quicker, moved more freely and attacked the space behind the defence more effectively, while Dortmund repeatedly passed into feet rather than threatening the area beyond the defensive line. Without runs and passes in behind, he said, the visitors could neither stretch their opponents nor unsettle their shape.
A difficult European away record
The result leaves Dortmund without a victory in four Champions League fixtures against Norwegian opponents, with two draws and two defeats. It also marked a fourth straight away loss in the competition, only the third time in the club’s history that they have endured such a sequence. The previous runs came between 1956 and 1958, and again from 2019 to 2020.
The hosts had already shown their ability to trouble major European sides by beating Manchester City and Inter Milan last season, and Dortmund were unable to match their intensity until the closing stages. Kovac now wants an immediate correction in Berlin, where Union are expected to present another combative test.
He stressed that Dortmund must meet Union’s commitment and determination from the opening whistle before expecting their football to take hold. Players left on the bench in midweek are in line for recalls as Dortmund seek to avoid consecutive away defeats and maintain their strong position near the top of the Bundesliga.
