Since Niko Kovac took over as coach at Borussia Dortmund, they have kept four clean sheets in six games. Most recently, they achieved two wins in a row for the first time this Bundesliga season. Ahead of the Champions League last-16 first knockout round first leg against Lille OSC, the 53-year-old is urging his team not to let up.
When Niko Kovac was introduced as the new coach of Borussia Dortmund four weeks ago, the 53-year-old was met with a fair amount of skepticism. But after his first six games in charge, there’s no denying it: the new BVB coach’s tricks have proven to be effective, the team has stabilized, and the recent results are encouraging.
“The medicine every footballer needs”
With a clear handwriting, fixed roles in the starting eleven, defined sequences on the field and good in-game coaching, Kovac has brought his team back on the right track. The zero was on the right side four times in the six games, and most recently, for the first time this season, there were two Bundesliga wins in a row to celebrate. The conditions ahead of the Champions League last-16 first knockout round against Lille OSC are good.
However, there is still no reason for euphoria – as Kovac himself admits: “There’s nothing to gloss over. We’re not yet where we want and can be,” says the Berlin-born coach, but draws a generally positive conclusion: “There is still a lot of room for improvement, but the interim result is good.” Above all, he is pleased with the way the team has taken on board and implemented the coaching staff’s input. “The boys haven’t cheated their way to success, it’s all been hard work. But they now see that there’s nothing better than winning. That’s the medicine every footballer needs. And we need a lot more of that.”
The next dose of medicine should ideally follow on Tuesday evening when BVB face Lille at home. The fact that the French side lost 4-1 to Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend and are currently only fifth in the league does not tempt Kovac to take the opponent lightly. He knows Lille well from his time as coach of AS Monaco and warns: “Lille play very well and are very technical. Their coach Bruno Genesio likes to play a very variable attacking football. The opponent will demand a lot of concentration, strength and stability from us. We have to be prepared for the fact that it will be a tough nut to crack on Tuesday and in the second leg next week.”
Lille beat Real and Atletico
Just how dangerous Lille are can be seen from a glance at the current Champions League season: the team celebrated victories against Real Madrid (1-0) and at Atletico Madrid (3-1), and in Liverpool, Lille only just lost 1-2. In seventh place, the French team managed to make it directly into the round of 16, while BVB had to take the detour through the play-offs against Sporting Lisbon.
However, Dortmund’s self-confidence has grown, not least as a result of their progress against the Portuguese side. This applies both to the team as a whole and to individual players, as the example of Karim Adeyemi demonstrates. In the 2-0 win over FC St. Pauli on Saturday, the winger was BVB’s match-winner and will therefore start the game against Lille with a tailwind. “When you have the coach’s trust, it comes naturally,” says Adeyemi about his recent upturn in form. However, he also sees himself not yet at the end, but in the middle of a development: ‘I don’t think I’m already at the level I want to be at. I can be even more dangerous in front of goal. I want to show that in the next few games.’
Gittens is an option for the starting lineup again
He should get his next chance against Lille, as Adeyemi’s place in the starting lineup is undisputed. However, there could be personnel changes in other areas, even though Felix Nmecha is still out and the use of Carney Chukwuemeka (thigh problems) is still questionable: Julian Brandt is just as much a candidate for the starting eleven as right-back Julian Ryerson, who has recovered from a cold. Jamie Gittens could also displace Maximilian Beier from the left wing again. “Jamie is hungry, he wants to prove himself and he has the lightness and liveliness we hoped for,” said Kovac about the player who made a difference in the first half of the season, who recently experienced a slight dip in his performance but now seems to be on the up again: ‘When he’s rested, he can do what he does best: dribbling and deep runs.’
Because how well Lille will fare in Dortmund will largely depend on how much BVB allow them to – or whether they signal from the first minute that they have no intention of giving up the game. “It’s up to us and how hard we work the opponent, whether we win or have difficulties,” says Kovac – and should prepare his team accordingly.
