Insights for Kovac, autographs for the fans | OneFootball

30 minutes of full dominance, another 30 minutes with lots of possession and control, and a final 30 minutes with some defensive wobbles: the 3-2 victory against their Champions League opponents from last season provided head coach Niko Kovac with some valuable insights in Iserlohn on Saturday evening. The fact that their play grew disjointed following substitutions 6-11 and the introduction of predominantly very young players came as no surprise. “Once we made the substitutions, several things were not right,” bemoaned Kovac. Addressing the tactical changes in the opposition's build-up play, he said: “We need to recognise that better and faster as a team. There's always work to be done, we need to make adjustments, but the general direction is right.”

The fine-tuning will take place next week at the training camp in Saalfelden. Other first-team players such as Niklas Süle, who did not play in Iserlohn on Saturday, will also make their return during that time in Austria. “We rested some players because there are always a few niggles during pre-season. We pay attention to that because we need every player to be healthy. It has to be built up methodically,” said Kovac.

There are still more than two weeks to go until the cup tie in Essen on Monday 18 August. The coach wants to make the most of this short preparation period. Following a very intensive first week of training, the programme is now set to be scaled back slightly. Then the Black & Yellows will face Juventus as part of their season opening event on Sunday next week, after which there will be another full week of training.

With the exception of the training camp in Austria, the team are completing their entire pre-season preparations in the region – much to the delight of the fans, who have taken the opportunity to get closer to their idols in both Siegen and Iserlohn. “I think it was a great spectacle, just like in Siegen,” said Kovac, as he departed Hemberg-Stadion. Borussia Dortmund were guests here 50 years ago for the inauguration, and they were happy to return half a century later. Kovac: “The important thing is that the players stayed healthy and the spectators saw a great game with five goals.”Boris Rupert