Borussia Dortmund will have a final match that will be full of responsibility for the Black and Yellows. Playing against an already relegated Holstein Kiel side at home, Niko Kovač and company rely on themselves to qualify for the 2025/2026 Champions League. A win with two or more goal differentials would be enough to guarantee a top-four finish for BVB, who seemed destined to miss out on European qualification.
With a tough start under Nuri Sahin, BVB put themselves in a difficult position after reaching a UCL final a year prior. Since the arrival of Niko Kovač, the club managed to turn their luck around and now find themselves only one step away from salvaging their campaign. However, since it's Borussia Dortmund, it is too early to celebrate before the actual game takes place.
The Black and Yellows also had everything to take the title on that day against Mainz 05 at the Signal Iduna Park, but I don't need to remind you of what happened. Therefore, Dortmund needs to be 100% focused and serious about beating Kiel if they wish to exorcize the ghosts of the past. With BVB's recent form, there is reason for fans to believe and be confident once again. Here are the match predictions against Kiel:
Player to Watch
Pascal Groß & Serhou Guirassy: Pascal Groß has been a key component for Dortmund's success in the past few matches, and, should the Black and Yellows win and qualify for the UCL, he will definitely be pivotal. The German veteran has used his experience to help Dortmund out of trouble, and his perfect crosses might be a factor for our deadliest weapon: Serhou Guirassy. Serhou Guirassy has scored 33 goals in the season until now, but these kinds of games are the ones he is paid for, and BVB should expect his scoring instincts to be active against Kiel.
Alexander Bernhardsson & Shuto Machino: Bernhardsson has nine goal contributions for Kiel this season, and could be a danger for BVB. Machino is also a very deadly attacker and Kiel's top scorer in this campaign, scoring 11 goals. These two need to be locked down so Dortmund avoid any surprises.
Match Predictions
I predict a tense match for Borussia Dortmund, at least in the beginning. The pressure to win at home against an already relegated side could go over the players' heads, but, hopefully, an early score could be enough to put the nerves away and put everything back on track. Kiel will definitely sit deep and wait for an opportunity to capitalize, so BVB will need to take the match in their hands from minute one.
With Dortmund's current form, especially in the offensive third, I believe Dortmund will remain calm under Kovač and focus solely on Kiel and forget the Freiburg x Frankfurt matchup. I think Dortmund will win by 4-1 and take the Yellow Wall to the Champions League for the 10th straight season.