Hardly an improvement on the previous two seasons, Borussia Dortmund's second-place finish is deceptive

"You have to remember where you came from" has been BVB's mantra over the past eleven months. To put that into context: the club finished fifth in 2023/24 and fourth in 2024/25, reaching the Champions League final in one of those campaigns and the quarter-finals in the other. In the cup, their run ended in the round of 16 and the second round, respectively.

Widen the lens to the eleven seasons since Jürgen Klopp left, and this campaign ranks as the club's third-best Bundesliga showing under Niko Kovac—their strongest in seven years. In eight of those eleven terms, BVB also scored more goals.

Excluding the two seasons constantly cited by club officials, Dortmund finished second five times, third twice and fourth once in eight campaigns. The numbers confirm where BVB truly belongs: challenging at the top as Germany's clear financial number two. 

Finishing as runners-up this term—Borussia Dortmund's sixth second-place finish since 2015—has returned the club to the table position that aligns with its ambitions. That outcome neither minimises nor maximises Kovac's contribution.

The 54-year-old oversaw Dortmund's best defence over the past decade (matching Thomas Tuchel's 2015/16 side), posting impressive numbers: 43 wins, 16 losses, and 13 draws from 72 competitive matches. Kovac has anchored the back line, bred a combative mindset, and maintained clinical finishing.

That alone merits considerable credit, especially given the abbreviated off-season and the demanding Club World Cup in the United States. Sporting director Ole Book has stated that the club intends to build on this "very good foundation" next term. Nevertheless, whether this base is genuinely robust enough to realise the "new BVB" vision promoted by managing director Carsten Cramer remains open to debate.

The blueprint for Borussia Dortmund's development is clear: under Kovac, they aim to project an image rarely seen so far. They want to attack with greater boldness and foresight, link up with renewed ingenuity, and assert greater control over opponents when in possession. To that end, they have already added—and will keep adding—young, promising talents whose early contributions should bring flair and fluidity, while potentially delivering hefty transfer fees down the line.

On paper, it sounds excellent, and fans are eager to see Book's first transfer window at BVB. Yet, when we examine Dortmund's last 72 competitive matches, the more intriguing question is: can Kovac—who, by all accounts, is set to receive a second early contract extension within a year—really meet these expectations?

To deliver that, he may need to reinvent himself. Throughout his coaching career, Kovac has favoured a pragmatic, defensive approach whose rigid tactics often stifle free-flowing football. In Dortmund so far, he has failed to inject genuine creativity or variety into the side's play. 

That is precisely why the club's management is now demanding the next stage of development. The logic is simple: the defence is solid and should stay that way, but the attack needs more firepower. As a result, Kovac's deliberate decision to drop wingers who excel in one-on-one situations is being reversed.

For that to work tactically, Kovac would have to tweak his familiar, much-maligned 'U-pass' system (click here for a detailed explanation). While that approach brought defensive solidity, Offensively, though, it creates a heavy reliance on crosses. No surprise, then, that Julian Ryerson finished the season with a standout 18 assists in just 15 appearances.  

This approach exposed BVB's limitations against quality opposition. In 16 matches against Bayern, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Leverkusen, Man City, Inter, Tottenham and Bergamo, they managed only four wins, losing nine times and shipping 28 goals.

This is more than a passing trend. Dortmund have regressed significantly against strong opponents, too often lacking maturity, resilience and consistency. That raises serious questions about the squad's quality. For years, BVB have been burdened with too many inconsistent performers. Full-backs Ryerson and Daniel Svensson are not world-class; the squad still lacks a commanding defensive midfielder, and genuine leaders remain elusive.

Even in the league, their performances—judged on quality alone—have been mostly mediocre. In expected points, BVB have bagged eleven more than their underlying form merited; without that overperformance, they would have sneaked into the Champions League only via goal difference over Stuttgart. Much of that surplus came from clinical finishing, converting a handful of chances into crucial goals.

That makes it a fallacy to view second place, or the season overall, as a huge success. Stability is not the same as progress. Progress must come next term. For that, Kovac must deliver again—better and differently.