Latest news with #RuhrValley
CNA
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Dortmund playing a final against Kiel for Champions League spot, says Kovac
Borussia Dortmund's last game of the season against already-relegated Holstein Kiel on Saturday must be approached like a final if they are to claim a Champions League spot and will not be a walk in the park, coach Niko Kovac said on Thursday. Winners of six of their last seven league matches, including last week's 4-2 victory at Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund have raced up from 11th to fifth and are on 54 points, one point behind Freiburg in fourth. If Dortmund win their home game by three goals or more they are guaranteed a top-four finish irrespective of Freiburg's result against third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who have 57 points and a better goal difference than Dortmund by three. "It's a good feeling to be back in the mix but it is about taking that last step that can sometimes also be the toughest," Kovac, who took over in February, told a press conference. "Finals are the games that we all want to be part of. In the last weeks we had many finals. We had to win those games. We won them and now we are in a position that we have things in our own hands. Before we depended on others." The top four qualify for the lucrative Champions League group phase next season. Failure by Dortmund, last season's finalists in the competition, to qualify would be a sporting and financial blow for the Ruhr valley club. "I won't be looking at my cell phone (to check on the Freiburg game)," Kovac said, adding that he would also make no changes to his team's usual preparations. "We have an important game, we know that. So we won't change big. I am a friend of keeping things as they are so everyone can build their own tension to deliver the performance we need on Saturday," he added. "We want and must win the game to reach what we all dream of. But it will be extremely difficult," he said.
Free Malaysia Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Dortmund storm past Leverkusen 4-2 to keep alive Champions League chance
Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi celebrates after scoring his side's third goal against Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena. (AP pic) LEVERKUSEN : Borussia Dortmund powered back from a goal down to crush hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the Bundesliga on Sunday, keeping alive their chance of a top-four finish going into the final matchday next week. Dortmund have now won six of their last seven league games to climb up from 11th to fifth and are just a point behind fourth-placed Freiburg. The Ruhr valley club, last year's Champions League finalists, have 54 points going into next week's season finale, with the top four teams earning automatic qualification for next season's Champions League. Yet they found themselves a goal down in the 31st minute with Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong giving the hosts a deserved lead in coach Xabi Alonso's final home match. The Spaniard announced on Friday that he will leave at the end of the season, having joined in October 2022 and led them to the domestic double last season without defeat while also reaching the Europa League final. A half-dozen saves by Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel kept them in the game in the first half but after Leverkusen's goal the visitors never looked back. Dortmund levelled two minutes later with Julian Brandt slotting in from a Karim Adeyemi cutback. The visitors scored again in the 43rd after winning possession in Leverkusen's half and Julian Ryerson completing the move with a low finish from the right. Leverkusen's lethargic play saw them lose possession once more in the 73rd with Marcel Sabitzer feeding lightning-quick Adeyemi to make it 3-1. Before the hosts had time to regroup they conceded another goal through Serhou Guirassy, who bagged his 20th league goal of the season in the 77th. Jonas Hofmann manage to score in stoppage time for Leverkusen. Dortmund host relegated Holstein Kiel next week. Bayern Munich on Saturday celebrated the league title they had secured a week earlier, beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0.
CNA
11-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Dortmund storm past Leverkusen 4-2 to keep alive Champions League chance
LEVERKUSEN, Germany : Borussia Dortmund powered back from a goal down to crush hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the Bundesliga on Sunday, keeping alive their chance of a top-four finish going into the final matchday next week. Dortmund have now won six of their last seven league games to climb up from 11th to fifth and are just a point behind fourth-placed Freiburg. The Ruhr valley club, last year's Champions League finalists, have 54 points going into next week's season finale, with the top four teams earning automatic qualification for next season's Champions League. Yet they found themselves a goal down in the 31st minute with Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong giving the hosts a deserved lead in coach Xabi Alonso's final home match. The Spaniard announced on Friday that he will leave at the end of the season, having joined in October 2022 and led them to the domestic double last season without defeat while also reaching the Europa League final. A half-dozen saves by Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel kept them in the game in the first half but after Leverkusen's goal the visitors never looked back. Dortmund levelled two minutes later with Julian Brandt slotting in from a Karim Adeyemi cutback. The visitors scored again in the 43rd after winning possession in Leverkusen's half and Julian Ryerson completing the move with a low finish from the right. Leverkusen's lethargic play saw them lose possession once more in the 73rd with Marcel Sabitzer feeding lightning-quick Adeyemi to make it 3-1. Before the hosts had time to regroup they conceded another goal through Serhou Guirassy, who bagged his 20th league goal of the season in the 77th. Jonas Hofmann manage to score in stoppage time for Leverkusen. Dortmund host relegated Holstein Kiel next week.
Reuters
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Dortmund storm past Leverkusen 4-2 to keep alive Champions League chance
LEVERKUSEN, Germany, May 11 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund powered back from a goal down to crush hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the Bundesliga on Sunday, keeping alive their chance of a top-four finish going into the final matchday next week. Dortmund have now won six of their last seven league games to climb up from 11th to fifth and are just a point behind fourth-placed Freiburg. The Ruhr valley club, last year's Champions League finalists, have 54 points going into next week's season finale, with the top four teams earning automatic qualification for next season's Champions League. Yet they found themselves a goal down in the 31st minute with Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong giving the hosts a deserved lead in coach Xabi Alonso's final home match. The Spaniard announced on Friday that he will leave at the end of the season, having joined in October 2022 and led them to the domestic double last season without defeat while also reaching the Europa League final. A half-dozen saves by Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel kept them in the game in the first half but after Leverkusen's goal the visitors never looked back. Dortmund levelled two minutes later with Julian Brandt slotting in from a Karim Adeyemi cutback. The visitors scored again in the 43rd after winning possession in Leverkusen's half and Julian Ryerson completing the move with a low finish from the right. Leverkusen's lethargic play saw them lose possession once more in the 73rd with Marcel Sabitzer feeding lightning-quick Adeyemi to make it 3-1. Before the hosts had time to regroup they conceded another goal through Serhou Guirassy, who bagged his 20th league goal of the season in the 77th. Jonas Hofmann manage to score in stoppage time for Leverkusen. Dortmund host relegated Holstein Kiel next week. Bayern Munich on Saturday celebrated the league title they had secured a week earlier, beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0.
