4 days ago
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Borussia Dortmund aim for a winning start into the second part of the Bundesliga season but know that more goals and better discipline are needed.
Dortmund are second, nine points behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich, going into Friday night's match at Eintracht Frankfurt and a Tuesday date with Werder Bremen which complete the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
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"If we win this game and against Bremen we will have 38 points, This would mean one of the best first halves of a season in club history. It shows that we are on a good path," sporting director Sebastian Kehl told dpa.
Dortmund were due to arrive in Frankfurt later Thursday straight from a week-long training camp in southern Spain where coach Niko Kovac put a special emphasis on attack.
Dortmund have managed only 26 goals in 15 matches, and mainly hope for improved form from striker Serhou Guirassy who has only netted five times. They have dropped points in several games by conceding late equalizers.
"We can definitely improve and decide games earlier and more convincingly," Kehl said.
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"Serhou is definitely not 100% satisfied with his tally. But we still know how important he is for the team. Of course we hopes he gets into his flow again."
However, Kehl also said that the "development the team has taken since last spring" after Koavc's arrival has gone a little unnoticed.
"We want to consolidate second place in the league. That is our aspiration," he said.
He urged the team to secure qualification for the next Champions League as soon as possible, and to reach at least the last 16 in this season's edition of the elite event.
Kehl also wants better discipline from the team after Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi were upset about substitutions, saying it has been discussed with the players that "we don't want to see this again."
Dortmund also hope for a contract renewal of Germany centre back Nico Schlotterbeck beyond 2027 but Kehl admitted they can't "force" players to sign new deals.
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