"Daniel Düsentrieb" at BVB: Svensson impresses coach Kovac | OneFootball

Niko Kovac raves about Daniel Svensson before the Wolfsburg match and compares him to Joshua Kimmich. For the BVB coach, the energetic Swede is currently indispensable.

Before Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday (7:30 PM, DAZN), coach Niko Kovac highlighted his special appreciation for Daniel Svensson. While the Swede appeared somewhat inconspicuous in recent games, the 53-year-old dismisses any notion of overburdening.

“Daniel is amazing, he's like Gyro Gearloose,” the BVB coach explained, referring to the tireless inventor from Duckburg. “He has incredible capacities. A player who doesn’t mind running 13 kilometers every third day.” After the first matchdays, Svensson indeed ranks first in the Bundesliga for distance covered.

Kovac brushed off the question of whether Svensson is overplayed. Instead, he drew a comparison to one of his former protégés at FC Bayern: “He reminds me of Jo Kimmich. Jo also plays every game, runs twelve and a half to thirteen kilometers each match. It's the same range in a different position. These guys just keep going.” Under Kovac, Kimmich played 64 out of 65 possible competitive matches for the record champions, with only a yellow card suspension preventing a perfect record.

BVB coach Kovac compares Svensson to Bayern star Kimmich

Even though Svensson is still waiting for his first goal involvement this season, Kovac sees him as indispensable. For sporting director Sebastian Kehl, it was still a logical step in the summer to exercise the relatively affordable purchase option for the Swede.

The fact that Svensson hardly gets a break at the moment is also due to the personnel situation: On the left defensive side, there is currently no equivalent replacement in the BVB squad. Since Bensebaini is needed in central defense, Daniel Svensson is a fixture. Only the return of Nico Schlotterbeck, who could return to the squad against Wolfsburg, opens up new options for rotations.

Niko Kovac emphasizes not only his protégé's running strength but also his personality: “He warms my heart. He is a very reflective, very intelligent young man, who is much more advanced mentally than his 23 years would suggest. There is nothing you give him that he doesn't immediately implement. It's sensational, and I wish that from everyone.”

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