Kovac gives green light: Karetsas back in BVB squad for Stuttgart clash | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund could hardly have hoped for a better start to the season. After three wins to open the campaign, Saturday’s Bundesliga top match away at VfB Stuttgart is next (19 September, 6:30 p.m.). At the press conference ahead of the game, BVB coach Niko Kovac (54) gave insights into his match strategy.

With Nico Schlotterbeck (26), Waldemar Anton (30), and Felix Nmecha (25), three BVB players are in the Germany squad. However, the new national team coach and former Dortmund boss Jürgen Klopp (59) has left out Maximilian Beier (23) for his debut squad.

“The three who are in it are, of course, happy,” Kovac reportedly said, according to Ruhr24. But naturally, that does not apply to Beier. “Maxi is a bit disappointed,” says the head coach, recalling his own past: “I was a national team coach myself and I know what that feels like.” He was in charge of Croatia’s national team between 2013 and 2015. He is convinced that his player will process the disappointment and “put himself back in contention.”

“Enjoying training”

Last season, the Black and Yellows took all three points from the Swabian capital. It was only in stoppage time that Karim Adeyemi (24) and Julian Brandt (30) made it 2-0. His takeaway from that match: “We must not let the opponent create anything. We need to play with confidence.” Kovac expects a focused opponent who will give everything once more before the international break.

“Against teams like that, you have to defend as a unit,” the BVB coach demands the highest level of concentration from his side. He added: “If one or two switch off, it becomes difficult.” After winning the ball back, his team should aim to keep possession for as long as possible. “But I don’t like just knocking it around side to side,” he said, favoring an attacking approach.

Photo: IMAGO

New signing Konstantinos Karetsas (18), who recently had to sit out due to circulatory problems, has returned to team training. “I see him day by day,” Kovac said about the young Greek. The youngster is “doing well, he’s smiling, he’s enjoying training.” As a result, the attacking player will also be part of the matchday squad. However, a start seems rather unlikely because of the recent layoff.

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