Borussia Dortmund sit top of the Bundesliga after seven games, a position that reflects genuine progress under Niko Kovac even if questions about consistency have not fully disappeared. Maximilian Beier came off the bench to score the only goal in Saturday's 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Signal Iduna Park, a result that moved Dortmund above Bayern Munich on 17 points. It was the kind of decisive contribution from a substitute that Kovac has been drawing on regularly, and it came just days after Serhou Guirassy's brace secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sabah FK in Baku to keep the club on track in the Champions League.

The wins have steadied the mood at the club following a difficult spell that included a 0-1 defeat to Bodø/Glimt and a goalless draw at Union Berlin. Kovac, who recently extended his contract until 2029, continues to manage a squad dealing with the absence of Konstantinos Karetsas through injury, while loan signing Ethan Nwaneri has yet to fully convince despite regular minutes. Marcel Sabitzer's situation remains uncertain, with reports suggesting the club will not extend his contract beyond this summer.

Off the pitch, Felix Nmecha has attracted interest from Manchester United and AS Roma, though Dortmund hold firm given his contract runs until 2030. Next up is a DFB-Pokal home tie against Werder Bremen on Tuesday, a chance to build further momentum across all three competitions.