Niko Kovac: Dortmund Won't Play it Safe Against Bayern

Borussia Dortmund's Niko Kovac believes his team can challenge Bayern Munich despite a packed schedule and intense pressure. Can Dortmund dethrone Bayern? Kovac's team looks to cause an upset in Der Klassiker.

“We are solid at the moment, and that is the basis if you want to have any success. Of course, we know the form of Bayern - 10 wins from 10 games (across all competitions)...”

Borussia Dortmund's unbeaten run has boosted their confidence ahead of Saturday's Der Klassiker match against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Coach Niko Kovac believes his team's impressive form will give them the momentum they need to take on the Bundesliga leaders.

Kovac acknowledges Bayern's dominance, with 10 consecutive wins in all competitions, but remains focused on Dortmund's own strengths. The team is four points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga standings, but Kovac is confident that they can challenge the champions.

Kovac highlighted a key tactical difference between the two teams, noting that Bayern often score their goals in the first half. To counter this, Dortmund will aim to start strongly and keep the game open to exploit Bayern's attacking vulnerabilities. “Bayern win their games mostly in the first half. So it's about keeping the game open for as long as possible,” Kovac said.

🎙️ Kovac on the approach vs Bayern:

“We've defended well recently, but we also need to go on the offensive in Munich. We picked up a point there recently in a great game of soccer. If we can repeat that performance, we'll come away with something again.”#FCBBVB

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 16, 2025

Kovac emphasized that fear would be a recipe for disaster against Bayern, saying, “If you act with a bit of fear in Munich, it will be hard.” He believes Dortmund needs to be compact, start well, and put pressure on Bayern to succeed.

“We are solid at the moment, and that is the basis if you want to have any success. Of course, we know the form of Bayern - 10 wins from 10 games (across all competitions),” Kovac told a press conference in Dortmund.

“We are on 2.3 points per game (on average), which is pretty good, but they are on three points. It is unique. It shows the quality of the team. But we want to keep playing successful football. We know we must invest a lot in Munich.

“What Bayern are doing is good, but we are on a good path ourselves and ready to take on this tough challenge.”

🎙️ Kovac:

“Bayern won't underestimate us; they know how good we are. They often start like a house on fire at home, so we'll have to hold our own against them. Then anything is possible. Even in Munich, they know we can play football.”#FCBBVB

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 16, 2025

Borussia Dortmund's upcoming match against Bayern Munich is a crucial test in their title defense bid. Despite a packed schedule with six away games in their next seven matches, Dortmund manager Niko Kovac is confident in his team's ability to take on the Bavarians. The team's upcoming fixtures include tough Champions League away games against Copenhagen and Manchester City.

Kovac emphasized that playing cautiously against Bayern wouldn't be a viable strategy, given their dominant style. Dortmund will likely face intense pressure from the start, and Kovac's team will need to find ways to counter Bayern's attacking prowess. The match promises to be an exciting encounter between two German giants.

Bayern's Harry Kane is set to feature in the match, having recovered from a minor issue. However, the hosts might be without Hiroki Ito, Alphonso Davies, and Jamal Musiala due to injuries. Dortmund, on the other hand, will be without defenders Emre Can and Chelsea loanee Aaron Anselmino. Striker Serhou Guirassy is also a doubt due to an injury.

“Bayern win their games mostly in the first half. So it's about keeping the game open for as long as possible,” he added. “We have to start well, be compact and keep the opponent away.

“If you act with a bit of fear in Munich it will be hard. It does not work for teams to go there and just defend. They score four goals per game. But we also have qualities in attack and we have to put pressure on them.”

🎙️ Kovac on Guirassy:

“He was really annoyed that he took a knock to his thigh and couldn't help the lads as much as we're used to seeing him do. He came back early and has now been able to prepare really well for Saturday.”#FCBBVB pic.twitter.com/USWB3gSKmd

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 16, 2025