Borussia Dortmund have laid down an early marker in the Bundesliga this season. With four wins in four, it's not only their best start to a top-flight campaign since 2015, but have also sent an ominous message to their rivals about their serious intentions of winning the league.
Now with club football resuming business this weekend, the BVB continue their title charge at home against Werder Bremen, aiming to retain their place at the top of the Bundesliga table..
Head coach Niko Kovac hailed his players for accomplishing this, but stays grounded as there's another 30 rounds of fixtures to come. He said:
"The lads have worked hard for this. It’s just a snapshot—we’ve played a little more than 10 percent of the Bundesliga games."
The former Croatian international highlighted that his side intends to remain at the forefront of the Bundesliga title race:
"We’re enjoying this position right now, but we also know we have a responsibility to keep working hard to hold onto it for as long as possible."
Coming back from a three-week hiatus, with your players seemingly exhausted from a tough fixture run and international travels with their national teams, can make it difficult for the side to pick up from where they left off. But Kovac is optimistic of his side pulling it off.
"I hope we can pull it off, put in a good performance against Werder Bremen, and pick up the points we need to get back into the flow."
Reunion with ex-BVB attacker awaits
Werder Bremen began their league season with a loss but have gone their next three without a defeat, winning two. With seven points in the bag, Daniel Thioune's side are in eighth position of the Bundesliga standings and Kovac expects to have a challenge on their hands in Friday's clash:
"I know that Werder Bremen is really good. They’ve gotten off to a strong start to the season, and I expect a team that will give us a run for our money."
However, there's another interesting pre-match narrative building up, which is Dortmund's reunion with their former attacker Niclas Füllkrug, now the face of Bremen's offensive vanguard. Currently on loan from West Ham, the Germany international has scored thrice in four games and will be fancying a few against his former side too.
Kovac acknowledges his blistering run of form right now but also feels that the River Islanders, collectively, can be a tough opposition on the day.
"He feels at home there and will naturally be motivated to play against his former teammates. But it’s not just about him. There are ten other players on the field we have to deal with. We have to impose our style of play, and it doesn’t matter who’s playing on the other side."
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