Borussia Dortmund have moved to the top of the Bundesliga table, at least temporarily, after grinding out a 1-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Maximilian Beier came off the bench to score the only goal in the 80th minute, with Jobe Bellingham providing the assist moments after coming on himself. It was the kind of victory that speaks to a squad with depth rather than one firing on all cylinders, and Niko Kovac will know the performance left room for improvement.

The result continued a run of mixed but ultimately productive football. A 2-1 Champions League win in Baku against Sabah FK earlier in the week, secured by a Serhou Guirassy double, ended a three-game winless run. Kovac, who recently extended his contract to 2029 with performance bonuses tied to the Bundesliga title, the Champions League and the DFB-Pokal, is building something at the club, but consistency remains the challenge.

Félix Nmecha is a concern. Despite playing regularly, the midfielder has struggled to reproduce the form that made him one of Europe's most talked-about players last season. Kovac has acknowledged he is not yet at the level expected, and a rest could be coming. Meanwhile, questions linger over Marcel Sabitzer's future, with reports suggesting the club will not extend his contract beyond this summer.

Dortmund host Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, a competition Kovac will want to take seriously given the bonus structure in his new deal.