Kovac ponders Dortmund changes for Bundesliga clash with Augsburg

Niko Kovac hinted that he could rotate his Borussia Dortmund team for their upcoming clash with Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Friday after their midweek DFB-Pokal outing. 

Kovac watched on as his team played out a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt, needing extra-time and penalties to book their place in the last 16 after Gregor Kobel's heroics. 

Indeed, Dortmund have not beaten any other team as often in the DFB-Pokal this millennium as Frankfurt, winning all four of their previous meetings in the competition. 

But Kovac and BVB's attention now turns to league action, with a trip to WWK Arena offering the chance to close the gap to leaders Bayern Munich at the summit of the table. 

Dortmund are fourth in the table on 17 points following their narrow 1-0 win over Koln last time out, though Kovac revealed that he could ring the changes for this match. 

Of those players that featured at Deutsche Bank Park on Tuesday, only six of those started Dortmund's last league victory. 

Kobel, Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Daniel Svensson, Julian Ryerson and Karim Adeyemi were those who played both matches. 

"That's necessary. If you want to maintain the intensity you've implemented, then you have to let everyone play," Kovac said of the need to have everyone firing in his squad. 

"We have a great team, I trust every single player. When we have everyone available, then it's very difficult to beat us."

Kovac did, however, confirm that defender Niklas Sule would not be part of his travelling squad after picking up an injury against Eintracht, while Ramy Bensebaini will return. 

"They came through the cup match well. The only one with problems is Sule. He has a swollen toe," Kovac told reporters on Thursday. 

"[Emre] Can and [Julien] Duranville are making progress. [Ramy] Bensebaini will return to the squad."

Dortmund's hopes of extending their unbeaten run to four games in all competitions will be high against an Augsburg side languishing down in 15th after eight games. 

They were thumped 6-0 by RB Leipzig in their last league match, their heaviest home loss in the Bundesliga and their joint-second largest overall in the top-flight. 

Augsburg have also only won two of their last eleven Bundesliga home matches, both against Wolfsburg, drawing three and losing six of those games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Augsburg – Mert Komur

While Augsburg's season has seen struggles at both ends of the pitch, one shining light has been the performances of Mert Komur. 

The 20-year-old missed Augsburg's humbling defeat to Leipzig with illness, and his absence was felt in the final third, having contributed a team-high total of four goal contributions (two goals, two assists) as well as creating 11 chances, more than any of his team-mates. 

Borussia Dortmund – Serhou Guirassy

Serhou Guirassy has not scored in his last four Bundesliga appearances, his longest goal drought since returning to the competition in 2022, yet he has been presented with nine big chances this season, one more than Augsburg as a team (eight).

He has converted just 44% of his big chances (five of nine), however, while Augsburg have converted a league-best 75% (six of eight).

MATCH PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND WIN

Despite being considered the underdogs by Opta's predictive model, Augsburg won both of their Bundesliga matches against Dortmund last season (2-1 H, 1-0 A), having won just three of their previous 26 top-flight meetings with BVB (D7 L16).

Indeed, at home, Augsburg have lost only one of their last five Bundesliga matches against Dortmund (W2 D2), which was a 3-0 defeat in May 2023, but their season has yet to take flight so far in 2025-26. 

Seven points after eight Bundesliga games is Augsburg's worst tally since the 2021-22 season (six under Markus Weinzierl). For the first time since 2015-16, they have lost five of their first eight matches, never having conceded more at this point in a top-flight season.

Augsburg have also conceded 20 goals this Bundesliga season, the most of any side. Only Eintracht in 1964-65 (15) have ever shipped more goals across their first four home games of a Bundesliga campaign than Augsburg have this term (14).

Dortmund, meanwhile, kept their fifth clean sheet in their eighth Bundesliga match of the season against Koln on MD8 – equalling a club record and, along with Bayern Munich, keeping the league's most this season. 

However, Dortmund's 2-1 defeat to Augsburg in October 2024 was the last time they suffered a Bundesliga defeat after being in a winning position, while it was also Augsburg's last win in the top-flight when coming from behind. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Augsburg – 22.7%

Draw – 23%

Borussia Dortmund – 54.3%