Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac was delighted with the Champions League win over Sabah but feels his side can still do a lot better.
After three winless outings, the BVB managed to beat the Azeri side in Baku on Tuesday for their first victory of the month with Serhou Guirassy scoring a brace.
Ahead of their clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, Kovac said his side is doing alright although there's still scope for improvement. Speaking to the press ahead of the kick-off, he said:
"It’s normal to have expectations. As always, I’m not a friend of making promises. We need to know what we’re capable of, where we can get to, and where we are right now. And so, the way we’re doing things at the moment is fine. Of course, there’s always room for improvement. "
The Dortmund manager, who signed a contract extension until June 2029 this month, had drawn a lot of flak lately for his team selections as fans called for his sacking.
However, Kovac highlighted the positive takeaways from his side's performance in their win over Sabah this week.
"But I’m sticking to my guns and I won’t let anyone talk me out of it – just as I said back when I started here. I saw a lot of good things against Sabah. We had plenty of good passing moves and maintained possession very well."
Dortmund came flying out of the blocks at the Baku Olympic Stadium, mustering eight shots inside the opening 15 minutes of which four were on target, including Guirassy's 10th-minute opener.
However, their attacking momentum slowly fizzled out with Sabah threatening in transitions. Kovac admitted that his side made a few mistakes, but wants to look at the bigger picture.
"We made a few mistakes after the 30th minute, right up until half-time, but then got back on track. I’m sticking to my guns – I won’t let a minority turn into a majority. That would be too easy."
Aden McCarthy equalized for Sabah in the 39th minute with a header off a free-kick from Tymoteusz Puchacz, before Joey Veerman had the chance to restore BVB's lead shortly after from a free-kick of his own, but Sabah goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov dived low to save it right before the goalline.
Guirassy made it 2-1 for Dortmund eight minutes into the second half by converting a fabulous cross from the Dutchman, which eventually proved enough for them to win the tie.
Kovac added that his players are grounded enough to judge their own performances and reliaze that they can do better.
"We can assess the situation, and so can the players; they’re very self-critical and recognise when things could be better, whilst also seeing the progress we’re making."
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