Niko Kovac is tempering expectations for Borussia Dortmund’s title chances despite their win over Heidenheim. He emphasizes securing a Champions League spot and remaining grounded, focusing on the upcoming match against Juventus in the Champions League.
Niko Kovac is keeping a lid on expectations surrounding Borussia Dortmund's title ambitions for the 2025-26 Bundesliga season, despite a comfortable victory over newly-promoted Heidenheim.
Dortmund secured a 2-0 win on Saturday, with Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier finding the net in the first half. The win was made easier after Heidenheim's Budu Zivzivadze was shown a straight red card in the 21st minute for a reckless challenge on Felix Nmecha.
Guirassy's goal was particularly noteworthy, marking his eighth consecutive Bundesliga game with a goal. This impressive run puts him in esteemed company among non-German players in the league's history. Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with 10 consecutive games, and Robert Lewandowski, who achieved the feat four times with a record of 15 games, have enjoyed longer streaks.
Dortmund's dominance was reflected in the statistics, with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.76 from 17 shots, compared to Heidenheim's 0.4 from just six attempts.
Before the match, Kovac had stated his aim to restore Dortmund as genuine title contenders after a long wait since their last Bundesliga triumph in 2011-12 under Jurgen Klopp. Their seven points from the first three matches leave them two points behind champions Bayern Munich, who earlier thrashed Hamburg 5-0.
However, Kovac remains cautious, dismissing the idea of getting carried away despite the Opta supercomputer giving Dortmund a 14.9% chance of winning the title, second only to Bayern's 67.5%. "I’m a bit older. I’m not going to let myself be led onto thin ice," Kovac stated, reminding everyone of Dortmund's significant 25-point deficit to Bayern last season. "We have to make sure we secure a spot in the Champions League as quickly as possible."
Kovac also emphasized the importance of perspective after only three games, stating that "no club has been promoted, no club has been relegated, and no one has become champion yet."
While the team's performance against Heidenheim offered glimpses of optimism, Kovac's immediate focus shifts to their Champions League campaign. Dortmund will travel to Allianz Stadium on Tuesday to face Juventus, who have a perfect record in Serie A with maximum points from their opening three games.
Beier believes that if Dortmund can replicate their performance against Heidenheim, they have a good chance of a winning start against Igor Tudor’s Juventus. "We’re very satisfied with two goals and a clean sheet. The red card was decisive. When you are a man up for almost the entire game, it makes it significantly easier," Beier said.
"We want to compete at the top throughout the season, so the victory today was very important. We want to stay in this flow against Juventus, which won’t be easy. But if we now keep playing full of confidence, then I think we’re in with a chance of three points.”
Dortmund's challenge now is to maintain consistency and build on this positive start, proving that they can sustain a title challenge throughout the long and demanding season. Kovac's experience will be vital in managing expectations and ensuring the team remains focused on their immediate goals.