The title is no longer an issue for BVB, but the course toward the Champions League is clearly set. Even so, Niko Kovac wants to leave nothing to chance in the race for second place, while also having an eye on a milestone.
Borussia Dortmund head into Saturdays meeting with HSV knowing exactly what is at stake. With the Bundesliga title no longer part of the equation, the focus in Dortmund has shifted fully toward securing Champions League football and protecting their strong position near the top of the table.
On paper, this home match against the promoted side from Hamburg is one Dortmund are expected to win. The roles are clearly defined, with BVB entering as favourites and HSV arriving as outsiders. Yet Niko Kovac has made it clear that he is not viewing the occasion with any sense of comfort.
The Dortmund coach expects a demanding evening despite the apparent gap in status between the two sides. Speaking ahead of the Matchday 27 clash, Kovac outlined the type of contest he believes is waiting for his team. From his point of view, HSV will not come to Signal Iduna Park to open the game up and trade attacks with Dortmund. Instead, he expects a compact, disciplined and highly committed opponent, one prepared to defend in numbers, stay organised for long stretches and look for moments to strike through quick transitions and set pieces.
That expectation is shaped not only by the nature of HSV as a promoted team trying to compete with stronger opposition, but also by what happened in the reverse fixture. Dortmund were frustrated in that match and saw HSV take something from the game late on. That memory still matters, because it serves as a reminder that domination on paper means very little if it is not translated into control, efficiency and concentration on the pitch. For Kovac, the task is not simply to win, but to make sure his side do not allow the same kind of scenario to develop again.
That explains why he has spoken so strongly about control. After the recent 2 0 win over Augsburg, Kovac pointed to the kind of performance he wants to see once more. In an ideal world, a coach wants his team to dictate the rhythm for the entire match, limit the oppositions belief and reduce the number of unpredictable moments. Against a team like HSV, that becomes especially important. The underdog often draws confidence from chaos, from set plays, from second balls and from spells where the favourite starts to rush or lose patience. Dortmund therefore need to play with authority, but also with discipline.
Kovac also showed a realistic side when discussing this ambition. He knows that complete control over ninety minutes is one of the hardest things to achieve in the Bundesliga. Even strong teams go through periods in matches where they suffer, where the opponent finds energy or where the game becomes less orderly than expected. That is why he made clear that while he values dominance, style can never take priority over the result. If Dortmund cannot produce a perfect display, then they still have to make sure they get the three points. In the decisive phase of a season, the table rewards outcomes, not aesthetics.
That mentality says a great deal about how Kovac is approaching the final stretch of the campaign. There is no room for complacency in his thinking, even though Dortmund currently hold an eight point cushion over third place. From the outside, that kind of advantage might tempt some into talking about stability, rotation or forward planning. Kovac has rejected that mood completely. As far as he is concerned, Dortmund have achieved nothing yet. The table may look encouraging, and the points tally may already be stronger than it was at the end of last season, but the coach sees only the work still left to do.
His warning is rooted in experience. Kovac knows how quickly momentum can change in the Bundesliga, especially during the final weeks when direct rivals are fighting for major objectives and every dropped point becomes more expensive. A lead in the table can feel comfortable one week and fragile the next if results go the wrong way. That is why he does not want anyone around the club to relax. The message from the coach is clear: BVB are in a strong position, but that position still needs to be defended through focus, intensity and seriousness in every remaining match.
This attitude is also shaping his squad management. One of the most notable points from his press conference was his refusal to hand out special treatment to younger players simply because Dortmund appear to be in a relatively secure place. There will be no gifts, no symbolic minutes and no deviation from what Kovac believes gives the team the best chance of winning now. In his view, the season has entered a stage where every decision must serve the main objective. Youngsters may still play if they deserve it on sporting grounds, but not because the club thinks it can afford to experiment.
That approach extends beyond youth development and into longer term planning as a whole. Kovac made it plain that he is not interested in using the remaining weeks to begin building for next season. He is not weighing up lineups according to who will stay and who will leave. He is not setting up matches as rehearsal spaces for future tactical ideas. Instead, he is judging players by what they can offer in the present. Those who are still part of the squad now remain fully relevant, regardless of whether their future lies in Dortmund or elsewhere.
That is a significant statement in the context of a club where departures have already been confirmed and where attention could easily begin to drift toward the next cycle. In many teams, this stage of the season can bring a subtle shift in thinking. Coaches may be tempted to give more exposure to players seen as part of the future or to reduce the importance of players who are on the way out. Kovac is deliberately resisting that. His position is that the squad must stay united around the current mission, and that every available player has the same right to contribute if they can help the team reach its target.
There is logic in that stance. Dressing rooms can become complicated if players begin to feel they are being ranked according to next season rather than performance. By insisting that everyone remains equally in the picture, Kovac protects competition levels and keeps the focus on immediate results. He also avoids sending the message that the campaign is already settled. For a club still fighting for the highest possible finish behind the champions and determined to secure Champions League football without drama, that clarity matters.
His comment that experiments can wait until pre season summed up the situation perfectly. Whatever tactical ideas or structural changes Dortmund might want to test in the future, those belong to another time. For now, the team must stay with what is known, what is trusted and what gives them the best chance of winning each weekend. In that sense, Kovac is treating the next eight games almost like a knockout run. There is no interest in novelty, only in efficiency.
One player who may benefit from this line of thinking is Julian Brandt. The attacking midfielder is set to leave Dortmund at the end of the season after seven years in black and yellow, bringing an important chapter of his career to a close. Under a different kind of coach, a player in that situation might already be drifting toward the margins, especially if the club wanted to prioritise others. Kovac, however, has signalled that Brandt remains part of the present and therefore remains a legitimate option.
That is important not only from a sporting perspective but also from a human one. Brandt has been a significant figure for Dortmund over the years, and he is now approaching a notable personal milestone. He stands on the verge of making his 300th appearance for the club, a landmark that reflects both his longevity and his importance across multiple seasons. Kovac even joked that it would not be very nice of him if he failed to get Brandt onto the pitch at least once in the final eight matches, a remark that strongly hinted the midfielder could reach that milestone as early as this weekend against HSV.
The way Kovac handled the subject was revealing. There was warmth in the joke, but also a serious message underneath it. Brandt may be leaving, but he has not been written out of the story. He still belongs to the group that is trying to finish the season strongly, and his contribution still matters. That fits perfectly with the broader principle Kovac is trying to impose. Nobody receives special treatment, but nobody is excluded from consideration because of future plans either. The only thing that matters is what helps Borussia Dortmund here and now.
As for the match itself, Dortmund know they will need patience as much as power. HSV are likely to defend deep and try to frustrate, forcing BVB to move the ball quickly and stay alert against counters. These are often the games where favourites can become vulnerable if they do not score early, because impatience starts to creep in and the underdog grows in confidence. Kovac will therefore want maturity from his players. The challenge is not only to attack, but to avoid giving HSV exactly the sort of moments they are hoping for.
If Dortmund can impose themselves early, win second balls and maintain pressure without losing structure, they should have enough quality to take control of the game. But Kovac clearly has no intention of underestimating the visitors. He expects intensity, organisation and resistance, and he wants his team mentally ready for all of it. That seriousness reflects a coach who knows the danger of letting apparently manageable fixtures slip away.
Ultimately, this press conference painted a clear picture of where Borussia Dortmund stand and how their coach sees the road ahead. The championship may be out of reach, but the season still holds major importance. A top finish, Champions League qualification and a strong ending to the campaign remain powerful objectives. Kovac is determined to pursue them without distraction, without sentimentality and without experiments.
That is why the message before HSV is so firm. Dortmund may be favourites, but they are not entitled to anything. They still have to earn every point, manage every pressure moment and treat every opponent with full concentration. Kovac is not looking beyond Saturday, not planning for the summer and not allowing the table to create false security. At Borussia Dortmund, the mission is simple: finish the season strongly, keep control of second place and make sure nothing valuable is left to chance.
