"We are here to challenge, but last season we were 16 points behind them - 16 is a big gap." Niko Kovač used that line to frame Borussia Dortmund's title talk, and it is a fair warning. Dortmund finished 2nd in the 2025-26 Bundesliga, but Kovač was clear that catching Bayern München would take more than an ordinary step forward.
The gap Kovač wants Dortmund to confront
Kovač told bundesliga.com that "to close this gap, a lot has to happen." He added that Dortmund would need to "play over our capacities," while Bayern would also have to "play under their capacity."
That is the level of caution running through Dortmund's 2026-27 season preview. A top-four finish is still seen as well within reach, but title certainty is not the message coming out of the camp.
The numbers back up the tone. Dortmund finished on 73 points in 2025, while Bayern ended on 89. That 16-point spread is the barrier Kovač keeps returning to, and it is why the club are being discussed as challengers rather than favourites.
Young signings and Nmecha's longer stay
The other side of Dortmund's preview is the club's push toward younger players. Joane Gadou, 19, arrived from Red Bull Salzburg, while Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, joined from Genk. Both scored in Dortmund's 3-2 friendly win over Arsenal, a tidy sign that the new recruits can already add something in attack.
Ole Book said of Gadou: "We see a lot of potential in him and are convinced that he fits very well into our team."
Felix Nmecha is another part of that build. Dortmund extended his contract until 2030, and Lars Ricken described him as "a key component of our strategic squad planning." He also called the extension a signal of continuity.
The title chase still starts with the same arithmetic Kovač set out, though. Dortmund have the shape of a strong side and enough youth to be interesting, but the Bundesliga race is still defined by the 16-point gap to Bayern and the scale of the climb it leaves behind.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
