HERE WE GO:Niko Kovac Seeks First BVB Home Win Against Union Berlin

Niko Kovac Seeks First BVB Home Win Against Union Berlin
BVB need to start piling up wins.
By Sean Keyser Feb 21, 2025, 5:06pm PST 2 Comments / 2 New
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VfL Bochum 1848 v Borussia Dortmund – Bundesliga
Photo by Max Maiwald/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
When Borussia Dortmund first hired Niko Kovac as head coach, his immediate job was to get BVB into the Champions League Round of 16 and stop the club’s bleeding in the Bundesliga. With the 0-0 draw against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, Kovac accomplished the former, but now he needs to show some progress towards the latter. Dortmund have suffered two defeats already under his command, and he still has not won a match at the Westfalenstadion, in any competition. Let’s hope that changes tomorrow.
To do it, Dortmund will need to defeat Union Berlin, a club that has been bad, but not quite relegation-bad… so a bit like Dortmund. Ever since the departure of Urs Fischer in 2023, Union have not been able to rekindle the magic. This season, they just have not been able to consistently score, with only 21 goals in 22 games. Only St. Pauli have a worse offensive record.
Player to Watch: Tom Rothe
1. FC Union Berlin v Borussia Mönchengladbach – Bundesliga
Photo by Luciano Lima/Getty Images
In case you’ve ever been sitting around watching BVB this season thinking to yourself, “Gee, we sure could use another left-back,” well, just know that we could’ve had Rothe instead of needing to go out and get Daniel Svensson on loan! The former BVB lad has shown tons of promise with Union Berlin, and as a result has been rewarded with over 1,000 minutes in the league. He has strong defensive metrics, including the most tackles won per 90 minutes of the entire Union Berlin squad. He’s even capable of offensive outbursts when needed:
Predicted Starting XI
There are a few changes that I would like to see Niko Kovac make, mostly due to rotation and squad management. It’s clear to me, and from the comments it seems that most of you agree, that Jamie Gittens and Julian Brandt need some rest. I’ve really liked Gio Reyna’s game in his few substitute appearances, so I wouldn’t mind giving him a start, especially against a relatively weaker opponent in Union Berlin. I also would like to see Maximilian Beier start in place of Gittens. Julien Duranville hasn’t looked great, and Beier showed a few promising signs against Sporting.

Score Prediction
Is it finally time for Niko Kovac’s first win at the Westfalenstadion?

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Post-Match Reaction: Dortmund Smother Sporting Lisbon in Goalless Draw
MOTM Poll: BVB Get Job Done Against Sporting Lisbon in Champions League Playoffs
Match Thread: Dortmund Look to Close Out Champions League Tie With Sporting Lisbon
Match Preview: BVB Aim to Finish the Job at Home Against Sporting
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