Dortmund collected 22 points from their final eight Bundesliga matches last season to secure a Champions League place, a run that Kovac credits as the foundation for their ongoing progress.

Dortmund opened the 2025–26 Bundesliga campaign with real purpose, scoring 12 goals in their first six matches and going unbeaten (four wins, two draws) before their Matchday 7 loss to Bayern Munich. Since that defeat, the goals have slowed, with only four scored in the next three league games to date.

Kovac, however, has stood firmly behind Serhou Guirassy, last season's leading scorer for the club after his summer move from Stuttgart, who has registered just one goal in his last six appearances across all competitions. "The ball just won't go in for him at the moment, but he'll get back to that," Kovac said recently. "I'm glad to have him and I'll stick with him. He's not just a great striker, but a key part of our squad."

While Dortmund are short on cutting edge up front, their defensive structure remains one of the strongest in the league. They have recorded six clean sheets in their opening 10 Bundesliga fixtures, a platform Kovac views as crucial. "We've achieved consistency and stability," he said. "We've scored a lot and conceded relatively few, even if things have shifted recently."

Kovac has often pointed to Dortmund's 3-1 second-leg victory over Barcelona in last season's Champions League quarter-final, despite a 5-3 aggregate exit, as the moment belief truly took hold within the squad. "It was immensely important because we realised we can hold our own against the top teams," he said. Since that night at Signal Iduna Park on April 15, 2025, Dortmund have lost just two of their last 21 matches in all competitions.

The summer window brought significant changes, with Yan Couto turning his loan into a permanent deal, Aaron Anselmino joining on loan from Chelsea, and Carney Chukwuemeka and Fabio Silva arriving to deepen the squad. Injuries have affected the rhythm of some newcomers, but Kovac is confident they will settle.

"It's normal that new players need some patience, even if we paid a lot of money for them," he said. "They're adapting to a different culture, a different language and different demands. I'm glad they're here and that they increase the competition."

With one defeat from their opening 10 league matches, Dortmund sit third in the table, seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich. They are also firmly in the hunt in the Champions League and the DFB-Pokal, with just one defeat in Europe so far this term.

Kovac believes they can challenge across all fronts if the attack reignites. With their defensive resilience already secure, Dortmund now look to Guirassy, and the rest of the frontline, to spark the next phase of their push for silverware.

Stanley Nwabali focused on Chippa after failed Kaizer Chiefs move