How will Borussia Dortmund line up under Niko Kovač?
Borussia Dortmund have appointed Niko Kovač as Nuri Şahin's successor as head coach. How will BVB line up under the former Bayern Munich double-winner in the longer term?
Kovač, if recent interim boss Mike Tullberg is included, is BVB's third manager of the season, while Dortmund is Kovač's third stop in as many years, with the former Bayern man more recently at Monaco and then Wolfsburg last season.
Perhaps befitting of a team nicknamed Die Schwarzgelben, there has been light and dark from Dortmund's season so far. The eight-time German champions are 11th in the table, but the European places are only two points away.
Injuries have cost Gio Reyna, Niklas Süle and even summer arrival Yann Couto significant playing time, but the squad has now been bolstered by the winter signings of Carney Chukwuemeka and Daniel Svensson. How might Kovač fit them in?
A good place to start might be with Dortmund's average line-up from the season so far. For the most part, Şahin tried to play with a 4-2-3-1 formation - one which has certain hallmarks of Kovač's preferred system: a settled back four, a lone striker with nearby support, and a degree of agnosticism as how the team lines up in between.
Serhou Guirassy has performed well since his summer transfer from VfB Stuttgart, scoring nine goals from 17 Bundesliga games at the point of the attack, while Felix Nmecha's emergence in central midfield, playing his way into the Germany squad, has been eminently impressive.
Watch: Guirassy and Gittens, Dortmund's double G-Force
Want more Bundesliga Action?
Perhaps the most impressive performer this season has been Jamie Gittens, though, the young English winger who has cut in from the left flank onto his favoured right foot to match Guirassy for direct goal-involvements (seven goals and three assists in his case; nine and one of each for Guirassy).
Now for a step back in time. Kovač may have most recently been at Wolfsburg, and helped Monaco to a Coupe de France final in 2021 before that, but he had his greatest touchline success in charge of Bayern in 2019, when he led the Bavarians to the Bundesliga and DFB Cup double - his cup win with Eintracht Frankfurt the year earlier notwithstanding.
It stands to reason that Kovač would try and recreate that success at the Signal Iduna Park, and a look at his predilections at the Allianz Arena might cast some light on what we can expect to see up the autobahn in North Rhein-Westphalia.
Watch: This wouldn't be the first time Guirassy has emulated Lewandowski…
For his lone striker, Kovač enjoyed one of the best in the business in Robert Lewandowski, who scored 40 goals in all competitions that season. The Pole invariably had four players in support. Thomas Müller played his way back into contention having initially been dropped for James Rodríguez, while age and injury meant Robbery - Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry - weren't able to steal the show as they used to.
But crucial to unlocking that attacking force was midfield metronome Thiago Alcântara, who dictated play from deep, breaking the lines with penetrating passes that most players could only dream off. That he had a dash of steel to go with his silk made his lone pivot role possible.
So what might the above mean for Kovač's Dortmund?
Guirassy can feel safe up front, and the same preference for a back four which also prevailed in Frankfurt, Monaco and Wolfsburg might appear again. It won't necessarily be populated by the same players, though.
Süle and Svensson have both been talked up in recent days. Kovač says he expects his former Bayern stead Süle to play his way into Germany's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad, while noting Svensson's impressive match fitness. Waldemar Anton and Ramy Bensebaini have been warned.
Further forward, Chukwueka has the ability to break the lines with the ball at his feet - as does Nmecha - and could slot into the role Leon Goretzka did under Kovač at Bayern; a player with the mobility to join the attack whilst also getting back to help an exposed lone pivot…
And who might that player be? Nmecha has played his way into the Germany squad this season, but Pascal Groß is the one with the ability to perform Thiago's old role. Groß has completed 89 percent of his passes, an average of which seven per game have been progressive. Nmecha's 87 percent pass completion isn't far off, but only four per game bring his team closer to the opponent's goal.
Related news
Guirassy and Gittens: Dortmund's double G-Force
Dortmund boss Nuri Şahin can look forward to the rest of the season with the dynamic double act of Serhou Guirassy and Jamie Gittens ready to help them take off in 2025.
Gittens among the top 5 breakout youngsters
Jamie Gittens is Dortmund's next great English hope, while Antonio Nusa has hit the ground running with Leipzig. Which other youngsters have lit up the Bundesliga this season?
How will the 2026 World Cup work?
Bundesliga stars will be vying for the game's greatest international honour in the USA, Canada and Mexico - here's how it will all work.