Kehl: Adeyemi, Schlotterbeck shine in win over Wolves | OneFootball

It was a lot of work. Then points eight, nine, and ten were in the bag. After the hard-fought 1-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg, BVB is now the main challenger to industry leader FC Bayern Munich.

“After four games, we’re right up there with ten points,” Sebastian Kehl (45) says happily in a club interview. Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director is convinced: “We’ve sunk our teeth into the top spots.”

The numbers are impressive. This season, the Black and Yellows are, alongside Munich, the only unbeaten team in the Bundesliga. Their last defeat dates back to last season. On March 15, 2025, the Westphalians lost 0-2 at RB Leipzig. Since then, their record shows ten wins and two draws.

“We’re focusing on ourselves,” says Kehl. “The team looks stable and intense. What we set out to do—to collect points right from the start of the season—is working very well at the moment. So we’re on a good path, but that’s all for now.”

“A lot of stability and quality”

The return of defensive leader Nico Schlotterbeck is cause for optimism. The 25-year-old center-back played for BVB against Wolfsburg for the first time since his meniscus tear in April 2025. “Schlotti” played with confidence, as if he’d never been away.

“We were absolutely delighted for Schlotti,” Kehl affirms, adding: “He was incredibly diligent in rehab, very focused, very professional.” Schlotterbeck played the full 90 minutes in his comeback, even though that wasn’t the original plan. “In the end, we needed him, and he was there right away. A fantastic debut after such a long time,” the sporting director praises the Waiblingen native. The 1.91-meter man brings “a lot of stability and quality” to the back three.

Schlotterbeck was even outshone against the Lower Saxons by goal scorer Karim Adeyemi. The 23-year-old winger repeatedly unsettled the visitors’ defense. With his 125 km/h rocket, he scored the goal of the evening. “He seems more assertive to me, more robust in challenges, even off the ball,” Kehl enthuses. And further: “At the moment, he’s probably the best Karim Adeyemi we’ve seen here at Borussia Dortmund so far.”

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