Niko Kovac Says He's Satisfied With Bayern Munich Performance vs. Dortmund
Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac was able to find positives following his side's 3-2 defeat against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, insisting that the Bavarians can build on their performance in the first Klassiker of the season.
Robert Lewandowski scored either side of half time but it wasn't enough for the reigning Bundesliga champions, as Marco Reus also scored a brace before striker Paco Alcácer notched the winning goal of the match with a delightful chip.
The result leaves Bayern Munich sitting seven points behind Borussia Dortmund at the top of the league table, but Kovac is only focusing on maintaining a consistent level of performance for the time being.
"We saw a fantastic match from both teams today. It was an open contest," Kovac said, quoted by the club's official website. "We were in control in the first half, Dortmund controlled the second.
"We bounced back after the early equaliser. Then we conceded two goals on the break, that shouldn't be happening. We closed down the centre very well in the first half, pushing our opponents to the flanks. We didn't succeed at that in the second half, so they had chances.
"Unfortunately we lost the match even though it could perfectly well have ended in a draw. We can be satisfied with the performance. It was our best match since Schalke, in terms of technique, fighting spirit and tactics, especially in the first half. We have to build on it and turn in similar displays in the future."
Bayern Munich will host Fortuna Düsseldorf - who secured a 4-1 win over Hertha BSC - after the international break before looking to confirm its place in the Champions League knockout stages by avoiding defeat against S.L. Benfica.
