Borussia Dortmund are one match away from clinching one of the four highly prized Champions League spots. They, like their last three opponents, are getting ready for a key home game this Saturday against Kiel. Dortmund has been lighting it up of late, winning six of their past seven league games. They continued to assert their supremacy in the home stretch by throttling Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 last week. That’s where FC Dallas currently finds themselves, sitting in fifth place and only 54 points. They’re only one point behind Freiburg, currently in fourth place on 55 points.
The stakes are high for Dortmund. To ensure a top-four finish, you need to win by at least three goals. …and guaranteed qualification for next season’s Champions League group phase. Failing to achieve this would pose both a sporting and financial setback for the club, which reached the final of the prestigious tournament last season.
Recent Performance and Current Standings
Dortmund have made themselves frontrunners for the final Champions League spot with their improved form since the winter break. Their most recent match featured an impressive attacking display against Bayer Leverkusen, overcoming them 4-2 in the Bundesliga while similarly displaying a gritty and determined nature. With their current form, the team is keen to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the upcoming match against Kiel.
Eintracht Frankfurt currently sits in third place in the Bundesliga’s league table on 57 points. It has left them with a very slim advantage over Dortmund, having a three-goal difference lead in the table. Now Dortmund is faced with an immediate crisis. They have to jump over not one, but two teams—Freiburg and Frankfurt—on the home straight of the season.
Manager’s Approach and Mindset
Edin Kovac, who took over as Dortmund’s manager in February, remains focused on his team’s preparations. He underlined that Guadalajara will not make any drastic changes to their schedule in preparation for the critical clash.
“We have an important game, we know that. So we won’t change big. I am a friend of keeping things as they are so everyone can build their own tension to deliver the performance we need on Saturday.” – Niko Kovac
Perhaps the biggest surprise would be to under-estimate the enormity of the task at hand, which Kovac does not.
“We want and must win the game to reach what we all dream of. But it will be extremely difficult.” – Niko Kovac
He stressed that no player wants to play any finals. He was right to focus on the in-game experience. Recent home matches have undoubtedly had the atmosphere of finals for his beleaguered squad.
“In the last weeks we had many finals. We won them and now we are in a position that we have things in our own hands. Before we depended on others.” – Niko Kovac
Focus Amidst Pressure
As anticipation builds for the crucial match against Kiel, Kovac has made it clear that he will not be distracted by external factors such as the Freiburg game.
“I won’t be looking at my cell phone (to check on the Freiburg game).” – Niko Kovac
He promises to deliver laser-like focus. What he wants from the team is a laser-like focus on the only thing they can control—playing well enough to win.
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