Borussia Dortmund began the new season with a defeat, losing the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup 1-2 to Bayern Munich at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. The result was a familiar story: a dominant Bayern first half, goals from Nathaniel Brown and Michael Olise putting the visitors two up by the break, and a BVB second-half response that came too late. Fabio Silva's 75th-minute finish, set up by new signing Giannis Konstantelias on his debut, gave the scoreline a more respectable look, but Maximilian Beier missed a late chance to level and Ramy Bensebaini was sent off in stoppage time.

The defeat exposed familiar concerns. Serhou Guirassy was ineffective before being substituted in the 63rd minute, drawing pointed criticism from pundit Stefan Effenberg. Defensive leader Nico Schlotterbeck remained absent with the ankle ligament injury he suffered at the World Cup in June, with his return not expected until mid-September. Emre Can is also out long-term.

Off the pitch, the club faces its own pressures. BVB reported a net loss of 21.7 million euros for the 2025-26 financial year, driven largely by an early Champions League exit and reduced TV revenue. Chief executive Carsten Cramer acknowledged the figures were "far from satisfactory" but insisted the club remains financially sound.

Transfer business adds further uncertainty. Fabio Silva, who impressed as a substitute on Saturday, is linked with a move before the September 1 deadline, and BVB continues to monitor Fisnik Asllani as a potential addition. With the Bundesliga opener against Hamburger SV at home on August 29 now the immediate focus, Kovac needs a response quickly.