Kovac demands Dortmund response against Sabah after winless run

Niko Kovac says Borussia Dortmund must end their three-match winless streak and rediscover their goalscoring form when they play Sabah FK in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Dortmund have failed to score in their last two games, increasing the pressure on Kovac’s side to produce a response against the Azerbaijani club. Sabah, however, will approach the match with confidence after recording the first Champions League victory in their history, beating Slavia Prague 2-0 last week.

Kovac has urged his players to respect their opponents but made clear that Dortmund are expected to take all three points.

“We’re taking the opponent seriously, especially since they won 2-0 here against Prague in their last game,” the Dortmund coach said on Monday.

“We have to be sharp, and I hope that as the game goes on, we can show the qualities we undoubtedly possess. We’re the clear favourites here, and we want to – and must – win this game.”

The main issue for Dortmund has been converting promising attacking situations into goals. Kovac believes his players need to be more effective in the final third after drawing a blank in their previous two matches.

“We have our plays in the final third to create danger. We haven’t been able to execute them in the last two games, which is why we haven’t scored,” he said.

He wants Dortmund to move the ball more quickly, improve their accuracy and put the Sabah goalkeeper under greater pressure.

“If we want to win, we have to score goals. We need to execute those plays. We have to play much faster, with more precision, and take more shots,” Kovac added.

“Tomorrow we have to shoot on goal more often to maybe force a goal.”

The Dortmund manager may also make changes to his starting line-up as the club manages a demanding schedule. The players’ condition will be assessed after their previous match and a five-hour flight, with Kovac considering the benefits of introducing fresh legs.

“We’ll have to see how the lads are doing,” he said. “After all, it’s also about bringing in fresh legs.”

Dortmund will be without Konstantinos Karetsas, who has a ligament injury. Emre Can and Giannis Konstantelias also remain long-term absentees.