Heavy calendar, no problem! Felix Nmecha and Gregor Kobel ready for Bayern blockbuster after Frankfurt test

Borussia Dortmund stars Gregor Kobel and Felix Nmecha praised BVB's squad depth following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The pair reflected on managing a grueling fixture schedule ahead of massive clashes against Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich.

Kobel hails proactive performance as Dortmund hit summit

Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel anchored Borussia Dortmund to the top of the Bundesliga table following a 1-0 home victory against Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park. A late curling strike from substitute Maxi Beier, set up by Jobe Bellingham, earned Niko Kovac's side all three points.

The win capped off a demanding schedule for BVB, who had been traveling extensively across domestic and European competitions since late August.

Reflecting on the match, Kobel praised Dortmund's game control: "We were the more proactive team, even though Frankfurt played pretty well in the first half... We controlled the game and kept generating chances."

Nmecha points to squad depth amid relentless schedule

With fixtures coming thick and fast, midfielder Felix Nmecha stressed how essential roster depth is to navigate modern football demands. "That just goes to show the nature of football these days: You have so many games, and you need a strong roster," Nmecha explained.

"In the end, we provided proof of that by having two players come on and make the difference."

Managing director Lars Ricken echoed Nmecha's views, stating: "This win wasn’t a given. We’ve been on the road a lot since the end of August... It’s great to know that two players who came off the bench decided the game."

Kovac and Beier commend team resilience under pressure

Head coach Niko Kovac lauded his squad's ability to dig deep following their recent Champions League trip to Sabah FC. "After such a demanding stretch of days, we had to dig deep in this match against a very good Eintracht team," Kovac said.

"What I care about most is that we beat a quality side. That's our takeaway, and we hope we can do it again in a few days."

Match-winner Beier added: "It’s been a demanding few weeks so far, but we all love the game and being out on the field."

Eyes on DFB-Pokal and upcoming Klassiker against Bayern

Kobel and Nmecha now turn their focus to another high-intensity week, starting with a DFB-Pokal tie against Werder Bremen before facing title rivals Bayern Munich.

Defender Nico Schlotterbeck highlighted the momentum within the camp: "We’ve now kept five clean sheets in seven games... We're not perfect yet, but we're making progress as a team."

"Next week, we’re off to take on Bayern. We want to play a strong game there. Before that, we’re up against Bremen," Schlotterbeck concluded. "The shortest path to silverware is the domestic cup."