Borussia Dortmund must take confidence from their 6-0 demolition of Union Berlin in the Bundesliga when they travel to face St Pauli in Saturday’s league clash, coach Niko Kovac said on Friday.
Dortmund, who are 10th in the standings on 32 points, lost their first two league games under Kovac but returned to winning ways on Saturday with a crushing victory in which Serhou Guirassy scored four goals.
“The way we won against Union was very important. We played dynamically, aggressively and intensely. That shows the players: we can still do it. If we play as a team and as a unit, we’ll get points,” Kovac told reporters.
“We have to build on this now… They (St Pauli) don’t necessarily score a lot of goals, but they also concede very few. That means we have to do a lot to create chances – because they are very compact.
“We saw it in the last game, the more chances you create, the higher the probability that you will score goals.”
Kovac said attacking midfielder Julian Brandt, who missed the win over Union due to a muscle strain, was available for selection, adding: “He is an alternative for tomorrow.
“A muscle thing like that is not always completely without danger. We will have to make the right decisions.
“Felix Nmecha is still not there. Julian Ryerson had a mild flu infection. We had him in training, but he didn’t feel like he could take part. He won’t be in the matchday squad tomorrow.”
The German-born Croatian manager also praised midfielder Marcel Sabitzer’s performances in recent games, saying: “With his technique, his calmness and his overview, he can control a lot.
“He has a clean passing game and is tough in tackles. He’s a link player between defence and attack – an important player for us.”
After facing St Pauli, Dortmund host Ligue 1 club Lille in a Champions League last-16 first leg clash on Tuesday.
