Soccer-Dortmund look to cap comeback with Champions League spot on final matchday

The Star

15-05-2025

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Borussia Dortmund v FC Barcelona - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - April 15, 2025 Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo
BERLIN (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund are one win away from completing a record-equalling Bundesliga turnaround and sealing a spot in next season's Champions League when they host relegated Holstein Kiel in the season finale on Saturday.
Dortmund were languishing in 11th, well outside the European qualification places, only a few months ago but have climbed to fifth under coach Niko Kovac, who only took over in February.
The top four qualify for the lucrative Champions League group phase next season. Bayern Munich are already champions while Bayer Leverkusen will finish second.
Winners of six of their last seven league matches, including last week's 4-2 victory at Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund are on 54 points, just a point behind Freiburg in fourth.
Dortmund have been much more aggressive under Croat Kovac, with players covering more ground on average than under his predecessor Nuri Sahin, while also scoring more, notching 23 in their last seven games.
Should Dortmund win by three goals or more they are guaranteed a top-four finish irrespective of Freiburg's result against third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who are on 57 points.
Eintracht have a better goal difference than Dortmund by three goals.
A 1-0 victory over Holstein Kiel would also be enough for Dortmund if Freiburg fail to beat Eintracht.
Finishing fourth would also see Dortmund match their own record comeback over the last eight matchdays. Dortmund climbed to fourth from 11th spot with eight games left in the 1993/94 season. No other Bundesliga team have managed such a comeback.
Eintracht missed the chance to secure their Champions League spot last week when they slipped up with a 2-2 home draw against St Pauli and club CEO Axel Hellmann said a lot was now riding on the final match of the season.
"I know there is a lot, a lot at stake," Hellmann said. "We have already secured a Europa (League) spot and we can now crown an outstanding season with the Champions League. It is a huge chance."
Freiburg are equally under pressure to cap a sensational campaign against visitors Frankfurt.
RB Leipzig, who host VfB Stuttgart, will try to salvage something from a disappointing season, with the club in seventh place and just outside the European spots. Mainz 05 are sixth on goal difference.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Peter Rutherford)