Borussia Dortmund’s narrative of newfound consistency and stability under Niko Kovac will be put to the test in the doubleheader against Leverkusen in the league and cup.
With losses to FC Bayern and Manchester City, and draws against RB Leipzig and Juventus Turin, Borussia Dortmund has yet to prove this season that it can beat the absolute top teams. Against Bayer Leverkusen—first in the Bundesliga and then in the DFB Cup within three days—the team now has the chance to successfully demonstrate its stability under coach Niko Kovac against a top-tier opponent.
“Leverkusen is a top opponent, but both teams know who they’re up against—it doesn’t matter whether the opponent is big or small; every Bundesliga game is tough,” Kovac said, downplaying the statistics ahead of Saturday’s first matchup (6:30 p.m./Sky). “We have what it takes to be successful there, just like last year.” If they fail to do so, BVB would go three Bundesliga games without a win—a first under Kovac. The “return leg” of the Cup round of 16 is already scheduled for Tuesday (9:00 p.m./ARD and Sky) in Dortmund.
While just one point separates the two teams, currently ranked third and fourth in the league, this doubleheader appears to be a pivotal litmus test, especially for BVB. The matchup may hold the answer to a lingering suspicion—namely, that the 4-0 victory over Villarreal FC was more deceptive than it seemed. The lopsided victory, coming in the midst of the first results crisis under stabilizing force Kovac, felt more like a cover-up than a resounding success. “Borussia Dortmund: Between a Sigh of Relief and Whitewashing,” read the headline in the *Tagesspiegel*; *Der Spiegel* offered a similar assessment with “More Hand Than Foot.”
In fact, this was Kovac’s BVB in its purest form: uninspired in play, but convincing in the final result. Extreme swings—both positive and negative—are rare under the 54-year-old. The former credo of “full-throttle performances” has long since given way to pragmatism.
“We’re missing those truly spectacular moments of play where an opponent is completely dismantled on the field,” Mats Hummels complained afterward on Amazon Prime. Dortmund shows little flair with the ball. Their style of play is too static, their approach too risk-averse. “You get the feeling you’re watching a solid team that executes the basics on the field. But in a negative sense, that’s all you see,” added the former fan favorite.
In Leverkusen, on the other hand, they seem to be a full step ahead in their development. After a rocky start to the season, the massive overhaul is taking hold surprisingly quickly. The impressive win in Manchester (2–0) was their fourth consecutive competitive victory; under Kasper Hjulmand, the team has lost only to PSG (2–7) and FC Bayern (0–3) in 15 matches—though they didn’t stand a chance in either game.
Hjulmand wants to build on that “night we’ll remember for a long time to come” in league play as well. “We have so much potential; we can get even better. A win like the one against City is fuel for our development,” the Dane declared.
In fact, thanks to their impressive run under Hjulmand, Leverkusen seems to have the momentum on their side. In the recent past, however, Borussia has become the Werkself’s bogey team: Bayer has won only one of their last six league matchups. During the most successful phase in Leverkusen’s club history, no other German team managed to do that.
