Kovac demands Dortmund builds on momentum
Borussia Dortmund must be present from the first minute at Signal Iduna Park against FC Koln to ensure a return to winning ways in the Bundesliga, Niko Kovac stressed.
Dortmund lost pace at the Bundesliga summit in Der Klassiker, going down to league leader Bayern Munich, which maintained its perfect start to the campaign.
Kovac's team dropped to fourth in the early-season standings after seven games, but has the chance to build on some midweek momentum in Europe.
In the UEFA Champions League, Felix Nmecha's brace led Dortmund to a 4-2 triumph over Copenhagen, moving it into the top eight of the 36-team league table.
Indeed, Dortmund scored three or more goals in four consecutive games for the first time in its European Cup/UEFA Champions League history, and Kovac believes that is a solid foundation to build on ahead of a return to domestic action this weekend.
"It will be another tough battle for us," Kovac said. "We have to be present from the first minute. We need these three points.
"We have to give everything, and every single one of us has to go beyond our limits.
"I think the team has come a long way. Of course, there's always a bit of inconsistency when we look at the first two halves in Munich or Copenhagen.
"We didn't play the way we're capable of. But in the second half, we proved that we could do better. The team are able to respond to the impulses we give them at half-time.
"The players have the physicality to play through to the end in the second half. Every single player who plays here can do that, and that gives me peace of mind."
A victory is far from a foregone conclusion, with the newly promoted FC Koln just three points behind Dortmund on the table after a strong start to life back in the Bundesliga.
It is unbeaten in its past two top-flight fixtures, a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim and a credible draw at home to Augsburg.
"An opponent who has started very well, who are on a wave of euphoria and who will certainly have a lot of great fans in the stadium," Kovac added.
"A team that plays vertically, that gets the ball forward quickly and gets a lot of players in the box.
"That means we have to try to keep the opponent as far away from the goal as possible. We also have to play our game."
