"Best of the best" - Niko Kovac expects tough contest away to Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac feels the fact that Der Klassiker rivals face off with an identical number of points in the Bundesliga adds to the excitement around the clash.
Bayern Munich host the BVB at the Allianz Arena on Saturday in a highly-anticipated Bundesliga encounter between two of the division's leading sides.
In what's become increasingly rare in recent times, both teams are level on points right now with 17 from seven games as Bayern and Dortmund have won five each and drawn twice.
As much as the statistic may fuel the fanfare around the fixture, Kovac isn't expecting to have it easy tomorrow. Speaking to the press ahead of the clash, he said:
This certainly makes things a lot more exciting than in recent years. But that doesn’t make it any easier, because FC Bayern Munich is undoubtedly the best of the best—not just in Germany, but also in Europe.
Dortmund were cruising early on, winning their first four top-flight games to assume top spot in the league standings as Bayern trailed by two points following a draw with Schalke on matchday two.
After returning from the international break though, the BVB drew twice in a row against Werder Bremen and Union Berlin, allowing Bayern to draw level.
Last weekend, Dortmund finally returned to winning ways in the league with a narrow 1-0 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt, with Maximilian Beier saving their blushes in the 80th minute.
Having beaten Sabah FK and Werder Bremen on either side of that win, Kovac's team are on a three-game winning run in all competitions right now but each of these wins have been by a single margin.
The manager urges his side to leave everything on the field tomorrow and play to their best.
We have to play at the very highest level. But we’re BVB—we have our own standards, and we intend to live up to them.
Der Klassiker rivals have already met once this season for the 2026 Franz Beckebauer Supercup back in August, where Bayern beat Dortmund 2-1 at the Westfalonstadion.
Nathaniel Brown and Michael Olise scored for the visitors to give them a 2-0 cushion at the break. Fabio Silva pulled one back in the 75th minute but the BVB fell short of the equalizer.
Adding insult to injury was a red card for Ramy Bensebaini, who was sent off for a foul in stoppage-time that led to a three-game ban too.
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