Borussia Dortmund stars Gregor Kobel and Felix Nmecha praised BVB's squad depth following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The pair reflected on managing a grueling fixture schedule ahead of massive clashes against Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich.
Kobel hails proactive performance as Dortmund hit summit
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel anchored Borussia Dortmund to the top of the Bundesliga table following a 1-0 home victory against Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park. A late curling strike from substitute Maxi Beier, set up by Jobe Bellingham, earned Niko Kovac's side all three points.
The win capped off a demanding schedule for BVB, who had been traveling extensively across domestic and European competitions since late August.
Reflecting on the match, Kobel praised Dortmund's game control: "We were the more proactive team, even though Frankfurt played pretty well in the first half... We controlled the game and kept generating chances."
Nmecha points to squad depth amid relentless schedule
With fixtures coming thick and fast, midfielder Felix Nmecha stressed how essential roster depth is to navigate modern football demands. "That just goes to show the nature of football these days: You have so many games, and you need a strong roster," Nmecha explained.
"In the end, we provided proof of that by having two players come on and make the difference."
Managing director Lars Ricken echoed Nmecha's views, stating: "This win wasn’t a given. We’ve been on the road a lot since the end of August... It’s great to know that two players who came off the bench decided the game."
Kovac and Beier commend team resilience under pressure
Head coach Niko Kovac lauded his squad's ability to dig deep following their recent Champions League trip to Sabah FC. "After such a demanding stretch of days, we had to dig deep in this match against a very good Eintracht team," Kovac said.
"What I care about most is that we beat a quality side. That's our takeaway, and we hope we can do it again in a few days."
Match-winner Beier added: "It’s been a demanding few weeks so far, but we all love the game and being out on the field."
Eyes on DFB-Pokal and upcoming Klassiker against Bayern
Kobel and Nmecha now turn their focus to another high-intensity week, starting with a DFB-Pokal tie against Werder Bremen before facing title rivals Bayern Munich.
Defender Nico Schlotterbeck highlighted the momentum within the camp: "We’ve now kept five clean sheets in seven games... We're not perfect yet, but we're making progress as a team."
"Next week, we’re off to take on Bayern. We want to play a strong game there. Before that, we’re up against Bremen," Schlotterbeck concluded. "The shortest path to silverware is the domestic cup."
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
