Niko Kovac ahead of the Stuttgart game: “We want to spend the winter at the top” | OneFootball

The scenario

The last international games of the year are over: The DFB team with Nico Schlotterbeck, Felix Nmecha, Waldemar Anton and Karim Adeyemi, as well as Gregor Kobel (Switzerland), Marcel Sabitzer (Austria) and Julian Ryerson (Norway) have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while Daniel Svensson (Sweden) and Salih Özcan (Turkey) will be playing in the play-offs. Before the international break, BVB had to play four away games in a row. The Black&Yellows won in Frankfurt and Augsburg, but lost in Manchester. The game against Hamburger SV ended in a draw. Meanwhile, Stuttgart have had recent successes in the UEFA Europa League against Feyenoord Rotterdam and FC Augsburg.

Personnel

“All our national players returned in good form - and were very successful. The players who were here have been training well,” said BVB coach Niko Kovac. Due to problems with his toe, Niklas Süle has not yet returned to training. “Ramy is still struggling with his back, so he hasn’t come back yet.”

Emre Can was already back on the pitch in Manchester and Hamburg. “After the game against Hamburg, I had a few aches and pains that I could still feel two days later,” the captain explained in an interview. “The break came at exactly the right time, if I’m honest, because I’m still not in a position yet where I can play every three days.” Nico Schlotterbeck sustained an injury in Hamburg, but was patched up on the pitch and was still able to play for the national team.

The opposition

VfB Stuttgart are fourth in the table and will be coming to Dortmund as BVB’s closest competitors. The two teams have gained 21 points between them across the first ten match days. The Black&Yellows are third due to their goal difference (+9) which is better than Stuttgart’s (+5). VfB have already won seven games - more than they have ever won before at this stage of the Bundesliga. “What he has achieved at Stuttgart is insane,” Kovac said of his counterpart Sebastian Hoeneß. “To take the team from the relegation zone and establish it in the league in this way, to get the Cup, to play in the Champions League - I think he’s the poster boy of German football coaching at the moment.”

Across all competitions, BVB has not beaten Stuttgart in the last six competitive games - their last win against Stuttgart (5-0) was in the Bundesliga in October 2022. “We know that they’re a good team who have played well against us at home in the past. But I think that we have enough quality and team spirit now to get a good result,” said Felix Nmecha.

Finally at home again

The BVB first team will finally be playing in front of a home crowd again - in six of the eight remaining matches this year. “We need and want to win the home games, so we know what we need to do at the weekend,” said Kovac. “They are important games because we want to establish ourselves at the top of the league. We want to spend the winter at the top, progress in the Cup, and get points in the Champions League.” Looking ahead to the upcoming home games, Kovac also emphasised: “We just have to worry less about travelling, and we can use that time better at home.”

The Black&Yellows have been unbeaten in their last ten home games across all seasons and competitions. During this period, they came away with nine wins and one draw (1-1 against Leipzig). Kovac said: “The stadium here in Dortmund with our brilliant fans really is quite a factor. That’s important for us, but of course it’s also significant for our opponents.” Now, with the support of the BVB fans, the stage is set for the next victory at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK against VfB Stuttgart. Christina Reinke