Borussia Dortmund and the new "greed"

Unthinkable just a few weeks ago, now a realistic scenario: Borussia Dortmund is well on its way to saving the season at the last minute.

While the opposition continually blunders, BVB is fully present in the decisive phase. "We've managed to gain some momentum. I think we've also increased the pressure on the other teams," rejoiced sporting director Sebastian Kehl after the 4-0 rout against VfL Wolfsburg.

Even qualifying for the Champions League again is within reach for last year's finalists with two games remaining. "If we win both games, we have a good chance of qualifying," said Kehl ahead of the remaining games against Bayer Leverkusen and Holstein Kiel.

Sports director Kehl sees "great greed" in the team

For the first time since Matchday 12, BVB is back in the top 5 of the league six months later. "I thought it was possible and I believed in it," Kehl said after the third win and the sixth game without a loss in a row.

"I see a great deal of greed," Kehl said. Yet just seven weeks ago, things looked very different.

Speculations about Kehl and Kovac seem to be forgotten

Dortmund was eleventh in the table and seven points behind a Conference League place. Far too little for the proud club that sees itself as the number two in German football . The BVB world was in turmoil.

Kovac and BVB - "True love" at second sight

There was speculation about Kehl's future, and it was anything but certain that new coach Niko Kovac, who only arrived at the beginning of February, would stay beyond the season. All of that has long been forgotten.

The right adjustment screws for the coach

Because Kovac made the right adjustments. His switch from a back four to a back three was spot on and stabilized the unsettled team. "It feels good. We've been playing very stable football for weeks," said midfielder Pascal Groß, who generally praised Kovac: "He's very clear in his approach. Everyone always knows where he stands."

The BVB coach was also clear on Saturday evening. "I wasn't at all satisfied with the first half; we simply didn't play well," criticized the Borussia Dortmund coach, emphatically emphasizing, "Thank God we weren't punished." VfL failed to capitalize on even the best chances, like Andreas Skov Olsen's (15th minute), and BVB had two outstanding players on the pitch.

Serhou Guirassy (3', 59') and Karim Adeyemi (69', 73') each scored twice. But Kovac knew that not everything was shining. Indeed, the game didn't look like a 4-0 win in the first half. The Westphalians played without any ideas, lacking any spirit. "We were too static, constantly trailing like windshield wipers," said Kovac.

Whatever he said at halftime, it worked. Dortmund also benefited enormously from the form of their striker Serhou Guirassy, who scored his eleventh and twelve second-half goals against Wolfsburg. No other Bundesliga player scored more during that period.

Hardly any dropouts in the final stretch of the season

In the crucial phase of the season, BVB also benefits from having hardly any players on the bench. The bench against Wolfsburg on Saturday was exquisitely filled with captain Emre Can, Marcel Sabitzer, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Karim Adeyemi. Adeyemi, furious about his role as a reserve, also scored a brace as a substitute.

"If people get excited, we all benefit," said Kovac about the current competitive situation. BVB is currently well compensated for Nico Schlotterbeck's serious injury (torn meniscus), Julian Brandt's ongoing form slump, and declining performances like Daniel Svensson's on Saturday.

The truth is, however, that without the weakness of many other teams, BVB would not have been able to get into this position on its own.

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