BVB under pressure before Villarreal, clear brief for Kovac | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund face a Champions League season under heavy pressure to succeed. Niko Kovac is expected to lead BVB into the round of 16 and secure important millions in the process.

There is a lot at stake for Borussia Dortmund in this season’s Champions League. On the sporting side, the club wants to go far, while the income from the competition is also of major importance for the Bundesliga side. Accordingly, the target for coach Niko Kovac is clear: according to a report by BILD, BVB are expected to reach at least the round of 16.

Even a successful run to the last 16 could bring the club more than €55 million in revenue, including the starting fee of €18.62 million. Money Dortmund would be very reluctant to miss out on again after last season’s experience. Back then, the club missed out on around €11 million alone — funds that had been budgeted for the round of 16 — after being knocked out in the playoffs by Atalanta Bergamo.

The first opportunity to lay the foundation for a more successful European campaign comes on Tuesday evening. From 9 p.m., Villarreal CF will be the visitors in Dortmund. Kovac is well aware of the opponent’s quality and points to their strong performances in Spain. “They finished third last year and are playing in the Champions League for the second season in a row.”

Champions League: Arsenal and Inter await BVB

BVB then have seven more matches to play in the league phase. The clashes with Arsenal and Inter Milan are likely to be among the biggest challenges. Real Betis, Aston Villa, FK Bodø/Glimt, Sabah FK and AEK Athens also await the Black and Yellows. A place in the top eight would send Dortmund straight into the round of 16 without having to go through the playoffs.

Photo: IMAGO

At the start, however, Kovac’s plans are being complicated by the personnel situation. Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini and Filippo Mane are all unavailable in defense. The coach is taking the situation pragmatically: “We need to be a bit imaginative, we’ll cobble something together.”

The team wants nothing more to do with the disappointment of the previous campaign anyway. Defender Waldemar Anton is looking ahead: “Last season is behind us, the anticipation is huge.” Now Dortmund must show that the excitement will be matched by the necessary results.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.