Borussia Dortmund take an encouraging start into Saturday’s home test against VfB Stuttgart, but Niko Kovac sees the final fixture before the international break as a check on both his team’s defending and its developing game with the ball.
Intensity remains Kovac’s baseline
Kovac was on the training pitch on Thursday morning while new Germany coach Jürgen Klopp presented his first enlarged squad in a 69-minute press conference. Dortmund’s coach said he caught one central message from Klopp: football demands intensity, defending and collective work.
That fits Kovac’s own view. He believes a side becomes difficult to beat when physical output is matched by individual ability. Talent without the fitness to apply it through a full season, he said, will not be enough in the modern game.
- Dortmund have covered the sixth-highest distance in the Bundesliga so far.
- They rank third for sprints.
- They lead the league for intensive runs.
- The number of muscle injuries has also fallen markedly during Kovac’s 18 months in charge.
Kovac said Dortmund have the required athletic level, while adding that further gains are possible.
New creators still finding their place
The more unfinished part is possession football. Kovac accepts that Dortmund must be cleaner on the ball and reduce avoidable errors, although he stressed that the campaign is still young.
The squad was strengthened in technical terms over the summer. Konstantinos Karetsas, Joey Veerman and Ethan Nwaneri were added, while Giannis Konstantelias is currently injured. The task is to bring their creativity into the side without damaging the defensive structure.
Dortmund did not always manage that balance in the matches at Hoffenheim and against Paderborn. Their transition play remained their sharpest attacking weapon, while their positional game against deep blocks has more room to improve.
Kovac nevertheless took more positives than negatives from the first five games. He wants Dortmund to move the ball forward with purpose rather than collect possession figures in midfield or the final third. The priority is chance creation, not decorative control.
Stuttgart demand collective defending
Stuttgart arrive on Saturday at 18:30 as a serious examination. Kovac described the visitors as one of the Bundesliga’s well-balanced leading teams, with strong individual players and considerable quality in possession.
His instructions for Dortmund are clear:
- Every player must contribute without the ball.
- The team must defend as one unit during Stuttgart spells of possession.
- Dortmund should retain the ball when possible, but always with a forward intention.
- Any player switching off can undermine the whole defensive plan.
Kovac expects Stuttgart to have phases of control. His concern is not simply who has the ball, but whether the opposition can turn it into chances.
Last season’s Stuttgart escape
The previous meeting in Stuttgart, on matchday 28 last season, offers a useful reference. Dortmund won 2-0 through two goals in stoppage time after producing little in attack for much of the evening.
Kovac recalled that Dortmund had also prevented Stuttgart from creating meaningful opportunities. That defensive resistance, combined with greater attacking precision, is what he wants to see before the extended international break.
