How Kovač led BVB into the Champions League

Just two months ago, the idea of Dortmund sealing a top-four finish would have seemed far-fetched to say the least. On Matchday 26, BVB sat in 11th place, trailing the coveted fourth and final Champions League qualification berth by a seemingly insurmountable 10 points. Yet on the final matchday, they were able to surge into the top four just in the nick of time with a commanding 3-0 win over Holstein Kiel.

So, how did Kovač - parachuted in to replace club favourite Nuri Şahin in late January - rescue what many believed was a lost campaign? bundesliga.com explains...

Kovač’s tactical tinkering

Initially, results were slow to pick up following Kovač’s arrival, with Dortmund losing four of the new coach's opening six Bundesliga matches. Fans braced for more of the same frustration that plagued the Şahin era. But the newly appointed Croatian showed the kind of tactical flexibility that sets him apart as one of the best coaches in the business. 

Recognising the squad's deficiencies in playing a back four – often too porous and exposed in transition – Kovač quickly switched to a back three. The change proved a masterstroke. In the 20 league games before Kovač’s arrival, Dortmund had conceded an average of 1.7 goals per game. In the 14 matches that followed, that figure plummeted to 1.1. 

Under Şahin, the side had conceded nine goals immediately after losing possession, whereas under Kovač, it happened just once. To put it simply: when they lost the ball, Dortmund started to drop back, regroup and weather the storm.

After implementing the new system, Dortmund became not only harder to break down, but also more efficient going forward. In the last eight games alone, the Black & Yellows surged to seven wins and a draw, scoring 26 goals – more than any other team in the Bundesliga over that period. The tactical pivot also allowed key forwards like Serhou Guirassy to flourish.

The Guinea striker was in electric form in the second half of the season, scoring 14 goals - six of which came in the last five games of the season. That Rückrunde tally went unmatched in 2024/25, with even the prolific Harry Kane trailing behind, on 10.

Kovač’s Dortmund was not the possession-obsessed machine that Şahin wanted to create. Instead, the focus shifted to slightly more direct football. BVB’s average possession dipped (from around 59 percent to 57 percent at the end of the season), but their effectiveness skyrocketed. They thrived in direct transitions, exploiting space with aggressive running and quick, incisive passes. 

The very best coaches are able to diagnose issues at a football club and find solutions, even if that means abandoning traditional values for a more pragmatic approach in the short term. For a club like Dortmund, previously known for their heavy-metal brand of football under Jürgen Klopp, Kovač looks the perfect fit.

Fighting for the cause

Kovač’s influence wasn’t been limited to the tactics board. The 53-year-old – known as a tough-tackling midfielder during his own playing days – instilled his own fighting spirit in the team, demanding more intensity in duels and more effort all over the pitch. Those basics have always mattered to Kovač, who masterminded a hardworking Eintracht Frankfurt’s DFB Cup final triumph over Bayern Munich in 2018.

Dortmund's players upped their effort accordingly, and appeared to be fighting for their futures under the new boss. Dortmund ended the season among the top sides in the league for challenges won and distance covered – a testament to the new culture Kovač has embedded. 

"I demand that we approach every game as if it were a Champions League match," said the coach shortly after taking charge.

"Niko gave us a kick in the ass," said forward Karim Adeyemi of Kovač's demanding approach. "He told us we had to run, no matter who we were playing against. It was very difficult at the beginning. But I have to honestly say, it helped me. I feel somehow fitter."

The points don’t lie. Under Kovač, Dortmund collected 28 points from 14 Bundesliga games – three more than they managed in 20 games under Şahin. 

Final-day drama

Dortmund’s resurgence set up a final-day showdown of epic proportions. The Black & Yellows knew they had to win by at least two goals against Kiel to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season. An early strike from Guirassy sent them well on their way, and second-half goals from the returning Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha set up a party on the Yellow Wall after the remarkable journey from mid-table to the top four was secured under the stewardship of Kovač.

It was just the second time in Bundesliga history that a team has risen from 11th to fourth over the final eight matchdays. The only other instance? Dortmund themselves, in the 1993/94 campaign. Lightning has indeed struck twice at Signal Iduna Park. 

With the momentum from the sparkling turnaround that has seen Kovač become endeared with the fanbase, the sky is surely the limit as Dortmund start to look ahead to 2025/26.