Borussia Dortmund: Where things stand for BVB at the break | OneFootball

After another edge-of-the-seat scramble last May to seal Champions League football for the current campaign, Borussia Dortmund have offered up a mixed bag so far in 2025-26. Niko Kovac’s men have combined the great with the occasionally erratic display so far. 

An opening day draw with St.Pauli preceded a run of four consecutive wins over Union Berlin, Heidenheim, Wolfsburg and Mainz. However, their consistency seemed to take a bit of a stumble after a draw to RB Leipzig and a first league defeat to Bayern Munich. 

BVB briefly stabilised with narrow victories over Koln and Augsburg, although the concession of a late goal in Hamburg ensured they went into the international break with a draw. Most notably, big questions arose over their lack of attacking output. 

Contextually speaking, the Westphalians will be somewhat content in third place and sealing their Pokal last-16 berth at this early juncture. Still, questions linger over Kovac’s side who have been subjected to criticism for their latest performances. 

BVB’s struggles in front of goal

A club notorious for their typically front-foot approach, Dortmund appeared to be on the money as they registered 20 goals in their opening 8 games across all competitions. Since then, they have managed just 11 in their last 8 fixtures. 

One such contributory factor must be linked to the concerns over Serhou Guirassy’s fitness. The Guinean – typically BVB’s most clinical asset – has looked off colour since he pulled up with thigh issues against Mainz. 

Although summer signing Fabio Silva has impressed with his limited minutes, it’s a tricky situation for Kovac to find the balance in giving the Portuguese marksman game time without unsettling the talismanic presence of Guirassy. 

Midfield headache for Kovac

Perhaps another element contributing to Dortmund’s attacking woes in recent weeks is the lack of continuity in midfield. Looking back at all 16 competitive lineups, there has been a whopping seven different midfield pairings in Kovac’s team. 

Although the 54-year-old has emphasised the importance of rotation, that’s almost a different midfield pairing every two games. The duo of Sabitzer and Nmecha currently leads the way on five, but perhaps sticking with them would enable more consistency.

Lack of killer instinct

Finally, one of BVB’s greatest problems in the last month has been their inability to kill games off. This can be attributed to both coach and players. Kovac, in recent weeks, has adopted a more cautious approach when leading on the scoreboard. 

Despite several chances passed up – an issue that largely falls at the players’ lack of ruthlessness – occasionally a fresh-legged attacker from the bench would bring impetus. Kovac may need to trust his squad that bit more after the international break.

Silver linings amid some chaos

One thing is certain, Kovac has set up Dortmund to make them hard to beat. Except for slipping to a 3-3 draw with St.Pauli due to being reduced to 10-men, BVB have only let in two or more goals twice in their Bundesliga games while keeping 6 clean sheets. 

Chances will always be created by a team sporting the Westphalians’ talent pool. Should Guirassy manage to rediscover his shooting boots, normal service ought to resume whilst improving the image around BVB’s supposed crisis.