New-look Borussia Dortmund: Solid, direct, clinical

Borussia Dortmund have been far more solid and structured this season than they were last year. Under coach Niko Kovac, they look to maintain a compact defence and transition quickly – an approach that has made them Bayern’s closest challengers early in 2025/26. Let’s take a closer look at BVB’s squad, tactics and key players ahead of Saturday’s Klassiker at the Allianz Arena.

BVB bounce back to form

Dortmund have earned 14 points from their six Bundesliga games so far this term, making them the closest team to leaders Bayern. They have only dropped points in their draws with St. Pauli (3-3) and RB Leipzig (1-1). Borussia are also still unbeaten in the Champions League. Although they squandered a two-goal lead late on to draw 4-4 away at Juventus in their opening match, they bounced back to beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at home. “We didn’t allow them too much. I can see progress there. The boys want to defend and see out what they’ve created,” said Kovac afterwards.

Dortmund strengthening in depth

After a mixed 2024/25 in which Dortmund were down in 10th place at the halfway mark and only qualified for the Champions League after an impressive bounce back, the club moved to strengthen over the summer. The most notable departure was 20-year-old Jamie Gittens to Chelsea, while 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham was brought in from Sunderland, followed by the attack-minded Fabio Silva (23) from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Carney Chukwuemeka (21), whose loan from Chelsea was made permanent. Full-backs Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson (both 23) had previously arrived on loan from Manchester City and Nordsjaelland respectively and made permanent transfers. Aaron Anselmino (20) was brought in at the end of the window on loan from Chelsea to bolster their defensive options.

“We have a really good team across the board,” said a pleased Kovac after the Bilbao win. Looking at the numbers, Bellingham, Silva and Chukwuemeka are yet to have the desired impact going forward, managing just one goal and no assists between them in all competitions. The trio have failed to earn a regular place in the team yet. In contrast, Couto and Svensson are among the first names on Kovac’s team sheet at wing-back.

Kovac’s preferred formation

Kovac has settled on a 3-4-2-1 formation for his Dortmund team. Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini are the preferred three in front of goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Couto and Svensson are the wide men either side of central midfielders Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha. Serhou Guirassy is the front man and boasts six goals in eight appearances this term. The duo behind him is less set in stone, with Kovac having options through the rapid Karim Adeyemi, playmaker Julian Brandt, second striker Maximilian Beier and the dynamic Chukwuemeka.

Dortmund’s attacking approach

Kovac has set up his team to play with a clear structure, opting for defensive stability upon which they can build their quick attacks. That approach has brought a vast improvement on their defensive frailties of last season, conceding just one goal in their last five league outings. That secure back three also allows the wing-backs and central midfielders greater freedom to get forward – a deliberate ploy from Kovac that’s also reflected in the numbers that show that no Bundesliga player has covered more ground (75km) or made as many intense runs (546) as left wing-back Svensson.

When in possession, Borussia are somewhat more pragmatic. It’s less about controlled build-up play but more about direct balls in behind and targeted counter-pressing. Their tactical discipline working against the ball has been noticeable under Kovac. The double-winning ex-Bayern boss demands discipline, aggression and hard running from his players. It doesn’t matter if their formation is seen as a 5-3-2 or 5-2-3 when defending. The key thing is that they keep things tight centrally. Dortmund will often sit deep but keep the gaps between their lines close and patiently look to break in transition.

Speed, flexibility and creativity are crucial in that going forward. A key figure there is Adeyemi, who mostly plays in the inside right channel and looks to cause issues with his pacy dribbling, shooting ability and well-timed passes into the penalty area. While the wing-backs can make use of the space out wide because of the compact centre and provide dangerous balls into the box, the two forwards behind Guirassy have to be more active. The Guinea striker’s job is now to stay forward and focus on being in the right position to finish with either his feet or his head.

Read up on the stats ahead of Saturday’s big game: