“Dortmund good but they haven’t faced a Bayern yet” – Niko Kovac
Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac says that “you’d need a magnifying glass” to find Borussia Dortmund’s weaknesses this season, but that the Bundesliga leaders are yet to face an opponent as good as the record champions.
Dortmund have got off to a flying start this term and are undefeated in 10 league games ahead of Saturday’s Klassiker at the Signal Iduna Park. Paco Alcacer has a Bundesliga best seven goals to his name; Jadon Sancho has enjoyed a league high six assists, and Kovac is impressed with what he has seen.
Watch: Every single one of Paco Alcacer's Bundesliga's goals so far!
“BVB currently have many strengths and very few weaknesses,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Friday. “They’re very well drilled in every area. To find weaknesses, you’d need a magnifying glass!
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“They’re very stable and compact defensively, they can switch play quickly and have great players, some of whom will surely be world class one day. They’ve got a good mix at the moment.”
Bayern have endured a difficult start to the defence of what was their sixth consecutive league title last season, dropping 10 points in their opening 10 games, but a recent upturn in form means that victory on Saturday could see them close the gap to BVB to a single point, and Kovac is confident.
Watch: A Klassiker performance Bayern will want to repeat...
“Perhaps BVB have not faced an opponent like Bayern yet,” he continued. “We’ll enjoy the game tomorrow. I feel no fear or pressure. When I played with [Eintracht] Frankfurt in the relegation play-off two years ago, that was pressure. That was about survival.
“Tomorrow it’s the German Klassiker, and everyone wants to be involved. We want to win the game, and for that, everyone must give everything they’ve got, even those who are not involved from the start.”