Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac feels his side can be proud of their Bundesliga season, ahead of their season finale away to Werder Bremen on Saturday.
The BVB have sealed the second place as well as a berth in next season's Champions League following a solid campaign under Kovac's first full year at the club.
He's hoping for his side to finish with 73 points, which would be their highest points tally since 2018-19 season (76).
"“We're taking the game very seriously. 70 points sounds good, 73 sounds even better. I could live with 71, but we're going there to win.""said Kovac
Despite a massive 16-point gap with champions Bayern Munich, Kovac added that he's still content with his side's performance and said they can be 'proud' of their achievement.
" “If someone had told us we'd finish the season as a safe second-place team with 70 points – perhaps even 73 – I would have signed up for that straight away and said it would be a fantastic achievement. We can be very happy with what we’ve accomplished in the Bundesliga.""added the Croatian
With the runnners-up spot sealed, Dortmund have made their highest finish in the Bundesliga since 2023, when they blew their title chances on the final day to drop to second and allow Bayern to sneak away the Meisterschale.
This season hasn't been as close, with the Bavarians in a league of their own after a blistering run that comfortably sealed their 34th title in the competition and a second in a row.
Until March, Dortmund had a slim chance. They were only six points behind and on a good run of form too. But for whatever reasons, their form tapered off, dropping points in five of their last 11 top-flight matches, four of which ended up in defeats, including a 3-2 loss to Bayern in an all-important Der Klassiker.
Yet, the Black and Yellows still had a better run than in their last two seasons and even boast the best defensive record of any side division right now with 34 goals conceded, one fewer than even Bayern.
Kovac has truly transformed the side into a well-oiled unit again although their playing style hasn't always been the most appealing as Dortmund have been prone to defensive lapses and relied on late goals to get them through.
With a massive squad overhaul expected this summer, it will be interesting to see if the club is able to raise the bar higher next term and perhaps, even clinch the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012.
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