Kovac expecting an “interesting and important game” in Leverkusen | OneFootball

ScenarioAfter the international break in November, Borussia Dortmund started the final stretch of the year with a 3-3 draw at home against Stuttgart and a 4-0 home win over Villarreal. BVB are fourth in the Bundesliga table, just one point behind the Werkself, who are in a Champions League spot for the first time this season. Last season, BVB won 4-2 in Leverkusen, taking a big step towards Champions League qualification with the victory. “We proved last season that we can compete there. I still believe that we have the qualities to be successful there. We need to have another great day, because when the floodlights come on in Leverkusen, it’s not going to be easy.”

Personnel matters“The game was intense, but everyone came out unscathed,” said BVB coach Niko Kovac, referring to the Champions League match against Villarreal. Niklas Süle (toe) is still unavailable. Maximilian Beier, who had to sit out recently, will complete the final training session on Friday and “then we’ll know whether he’s fit enough after his injury or not.”

The opposition“They’re a top opponent,” says Kovac. “Leverkusen have found their feet after initial difficulties. Their last few games have been very successful. They’ve only lost to PSG and Bayern Munich. They have won all their other games. That shows the quality of the team and the manager.” After the international break, the Rhinelanders won 3-1 at VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga and 2-0 at Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. Since Kasper Hjulmand took over from Erik ten Hag’s prior to Matchday 3, only Bayern Munich have picked up more points, celebrated more victories and scored more goals than Bayer Leverkusen (facts). “You can see that they are still a top footballing side. A team that combine speed and directness with combination football. That’s what makes them so unpredictable and difficult to play against,” explains Kovac.

A quick reunionIn the 2007/08 season, Borussia Dortmund faced Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and six days later, the two teams played each other again in the DFB-Pokal final. Two matches against Bayer Leverkusen in the two domestic competitions will now take place in even quicker succession: after the match on the Rhine, Leverkusen will be the visitors at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK on Tuesday, just three days later, when the two teams will battle it out for a place in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal. “I’m not thinking about the second game yet, because we have to play the first one before we can tackle the second,” said Kovac, who is not looking ahead but is focusing on Saturday’s match for now. “It’s a very interesting and important game for us.”Christina Reinke