Borussia Dortmund head into their Champions League opener with momentum, and the bigger story is Niko Kovač's run to 107 points from his first 50 league games. Dortmund's victory over 1899 Hoffenheim was his 50th Bundesliga match in charge, and it left him on 33 wins and a club-leading 66 percent win rate across that stretch. He is also doing it with at least eight first-team players missing, including Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, Ramy Bensebaini and Samuel Inácio.

Kovač's numbers and the injury list

Lars Ricken's line on the milestone summed up the scale of the start: "No other coach has previously managed 107 points from 50 games with us - bravo." Kovač kept the tone down himself, saying: "The stats are what they are." Those numbers sit alongside a squad that has been patched together again for Europe, which is why the back line is such a focus before Villarreal arrive.

The preview expects Joane Gahou, Anton and Filippo Mané in a back three, with Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson as wing-backs and Felix Nmecha and Jobe Bellingham in midfield. Ethan Nwaneri is also one of the names in the mix, but the core issue is simpler than the team-sheet detail: Dortmund are still winning while missing a long list of starters.

Villarreal's form and the opening night edge

Villarreal are yet to register their first league victory and have drawn their opening two matches. Their recent run is one win, one draw and three defeats, which is not the sort of form you want before a trip to Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund have taken maximum points from their opening two Bundesliga matches, so the domestic backdrop is better too. The one caution is that the Champions League changes the setting quickly, and Villarreal still have enough quality to make the game awkward if Dortmund's reshuffled defence is stretched.

Kovač's start is the sharper headline, though. He has built a 2.14 points-per-game rate after 50 matches, the best any Dortmund head coach has managed at that point, and the injury list has not stopped that record pace. Dortmund now have to carry it into a home European opener against a Villarreal side still looking for a league win, with the first whistle at Signal Iduna Park set to test both teams in different ways.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →