Pre-Match Report
Kovac Wants to Push BVB “to the Limit” Again in Berlin
The scenario
For BVB head coach Niko Kovac, the situation ahead of the away game at Stadion An der Alten Försterei is clear: “We want to take three points there. But we know how difficult it is there. Last season we won 3-0, but it was still a tough battle right up to the last second. I expect the same tomorrow.”
After an initially outstanding start to the season with six consecutive wins in competitive matches, Borussia Dortmund has recently suffered its first setbacks. The home game against Werder Bremen ended in a 2–2 draw, and on Wednesday evening, they suffered their first loss of the season in the UEFA Champions League against FK Bodø/Glimt. Kovac emphasizes that he wants his team to quickly learn the right lessons from these games: “We took a fall, and now we’re getting back on our feet. It’s a process.”
The situation heading into the matchup against the “Eisernen” looks very promising from BVB’s perspective: If they secure their third away win in their third away game, the Black and Yellows will definitely jump back to first place in the standings. The current leader, SC Freiburg, doesn’t play until Sunday, when they’ll face Bayer Leverkusen on the road.
Squad
With Giannis Konstantelias and Emre Can (both recovering from ACL tears), two long-term absentees are not in Borussia Dortmund’s roster; Justin Lerma will also remain sidelined with his thigh injury. Otherwise, Borussia Dortmund can travel to Berlin-Köpenick with a full squad. Further details on the BVB roster.
Opponent
Under new head coach Mauro Lustrinelli, Union Berlin initially struggled to find their footing in the new season. The capital city club earned just one point in the first four Bundesliga matchdays, marking their worst start to a season since their promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019. Their 17th-place standing and goal differential (4:17) were also historically poor at that point.
Last weekend, however, Union managed a crucial breakthrough: With a 1-0 away win at SV Elversberg, the Berliners celebrated their first victory of the season and climbed to 16th place in the standings.
Niko Kovac has great respect for Saturday’s opponent: “In their last game against Elversberg, they returned to the level of intensity and aggressiveness they’ve shown in recent years. It’s going to be intense! We’ll have to push ourselves to the limit and win the battles they force upon us. If you think you can just go there and coast through the game, it’ll be tough. Many teams have already learned that the hard way,” warns the BVB coach.
Kovac also recalls Union’s many goals from set pieces and emphasizes: “They’re very dangerous there. We can’t afford to give them much room in that area.”
The Berlin squad includes Tom Rothe, a former Borussian who hasn’t missed a single minute of play at left back this Bundesliga season.
A Draw Is Out of the Question
Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin have faced each other 14 times in the Bundesliga so far. Not a single one of those 14 matches ended in a draw. The Black and Yellows have celebrated 10 victories against the Ironers, while Union Berlin has secured three points four times at their home stadium, An der Alten Försterei. Mats-Yannick
Roth