Niko Kovac on the starting line-up and the key to beating Union | OneFootball

Since 22 February 2025, Niko Kovac has known what it feels like to celebrate a win at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK as a Black & Yellow. “It feels good, I'm completely satisfied,“ said the coach after the 6-0 demolition of Union Berlin. Six months later, Borussia will welcome the Berlin oufit back to Dortmund – but Kovac does not see the last meeting between the teams as an indicator of how the encounter on Sunday will go.

“It will be a completely different game,” said the coach, in reference to the tactics and the pre-match scenario. Unlike Borussia, who kicked off the new season with only one point by drawing 3-3 away to St. Pauli on Matchday 1, Union Berlin celebrated a 2-1 victory against VfB Stuttgart. “We of course want to win our first home game,“ said Kovac, but – as the coach is always at pains to point out – “it certainly won't be easy“.

Kovac knows exactly what will be required in order to record another victory over Union on Sunday evening: “They will certainly play a very physical game, so we will have to hold our own.“ And that is what the coach is expecting from every one of his players on the pitch. Because, as he pointed out, “on a footballing level, we scored three wonderful goals in Hamburg, even if we didn't play our best match.” And in the game against Union too, Borussia will certainly be able to compete on a footballing level. “But we will have to hold our own physically,” said Kovac, who also made this clear to his players last week.

Niko Kovac: “We want to show that on the pitch”

Borussia therefore know what to expect on Sunday. Niko Kovac has not yet revealed exactly which of the Black & Yellows will be on the pitch at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK when the game kicks off at 17:30 CEST. It is, however, certain that Filippo Mane will miss the match after receiving a red card in St. Pauli. Julian Ryerson will re-join the team for the final training session on Saturday and is an option for the squad. With the exception of long-term injury absentees Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Süle, Julien Duranville and captain Emre Can, Kovac says that he has the entire Borussia squad at his disposal.

New signing Aaron Anselmino is also a candidate to start at the heart of defence in Filippo Mane's absence: “He is very intelligent, very strong in the challenges, very aggressive and very tenacious. Aaron is a player who will definitely help us from the start,” said Kovac. Carney Chukwuemeka, the second new signing of the week, has also settled in straightaway: “Carney knows exactly how things work here.”

The foundations for another home win against Union Berlin have therefore been laid – and Borussia Dortmund will need to show “the necessary intensity“ right from the start on Sunday to secure victory, according to Kovac. “That's what we want to show on the pitch. And then I hope we can win the game.“ Should the Black & Yellows succeed, it would be Niko Kovac's ninth home win as Borussia coach – six months after he first tasted victory at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK.

Nina Bargel-Neuhaus