As noted in the Get German Football News write-up on the latest Bundesliga 15:30 kickoffs, German football’s perennial “also-rans” have made a significant statement with their latest 0-2 away league win over Mainz. Niko Kovac’s Borussia Dortmund – with four wins and one draw through five Bundesliga matchdays – are only two points off league leaders Bayern Munich and will finish the weekend in second place.
Dortmund’s early success this season has come attached with criticism that – without lead striker Serhou Guirassy – BVB are nothing more than a bang-average team. This too was disproven on Saturday. With Guirassy sidelined due to an injury incurred during the warm ups, Dortmund proved that they could dominate a quality team without their leading goalscorer.
Dortmund actually surprisingly bested Mainz without Guirassy in the line-up the last time the two teams met in the league. Back in late March 2024, an intriguing double-striker set of Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi carried the day in Dortmund’s 3-1 victory at Signal Iduna Park. This time, Adeyemi ran the attack on the top axis alone while Adeyemi worked the right wing. Julian Brandt received a surprise start on the left.
The results were once again quite good. Adeyemi scored once and would have likely scored again had Mainz keeper Robin Zentner (immediately sent off on a fully justifiable red card) taken Adeyemi out on a 67th-minute breakaway. Brandt pocketed assists on both Dortmund goals.
Such a performance remains especially relevant to the Guirassy-dependency issue. Even if the Guinean national team’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations means Guirassy won’t be departing on international duty this January, the BVB talisman can get injured at any time.
“It was a bit of a surprise, of course,” Brandt said in the mixed zone when reflecting on how Guirassy’s injury forced a change-of-plans. “Serhou found himself in pain. Then you’re thrown in at the deep end. It’s definitely different. I think it was an outstanding performance in the first half. Toward the end, we should have found ourselves playing better a man up.
“It’s [still] a good sign that we’ve gotten off to such a good start,” Brandt – who remains without a Bundesliga title since joining Dortmund from Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. “Because we’ve gotten off to not-so-good starts in the past and had to play catch-up.“
Kovac also specifically praised Brandt – whom he has consistently defended since being appointed Dortmund’s head coach last spring – at his post-match press conference. As to the question whether it might be Kovac (fired as Bayern Munich head coach during the same season Brandt joined Dortmund) who might finally be the one to challenge Bayern for the title?
Kovac could only the laugh the question off. Dortmund are due to face Bayern in the match non-Germans refer to as “Der Klassiker” as soon as the Bundesliga reconvenes after the October international break. Kovac has already nicked a draw off the club he used to coach in his first league meeting with Bayern last April.
Dortmund still haven’t beaten Bayern in the league since back when Kovac coached FCB in November 2018. Lucien Favre never so much as drew Bayern again. Edin Terzic’s BVB nicked their own draw off the German giants in October 2022. Apart from that, Terzic, Lucien Favre, Marco Rose, and Nuri Sahin did nothing but lose.
“We’re only looking at ourselves and we want to keep it that way,” Kovac said. “I know that the German footballing public maintains the hope that Bayern doesn’t run away with the title, but we need to focus on keeping things consistent. I know how it is in football, but we’re sticking with us. It’s only matchday five.
“I’m really excited that – when Serhou had to withdraw – Julian Brandt decided this game with two fantastic passes,” Kovac continued. “Jule is doing a fantastic job. Today he set up two goals and had a chance himself. I know exactly what he’s capable of. He’s an important player for us and this club.“
