League leaders BVB showcase Dortmund's hallmarks of a top team
In the sunny stadium of Stuttgart, BVB reclaimed the top of the table after a 1‑0 victory. The only non‑international player for Dortmund, 23‑year‑old Maximilian Beier, found the net in the 70th minute and secured the win. This puts Dortmund on twelve points after four matches, two points ahead of FC Bayern. The league‑leading BVB Dortmund's traits of a settled top‑team were thus evident.
Kovač's emotional double burden
Niko Kovač was deeply saddened after the win because his longtime friend and former co‑coach Peter Hermann died last weekend from the incurable neuro‑degenerative disease ALS. The former head coach of FC Bayern Munich, who had accompanied Hermann during his time in Munich, left a lasting impression on Kovač. In an interview with Sky, Kovač said: “I feel like the air is taken away from me, I am deeply saddened, a great person has left us.” Despite the grief, he also emphasized the joy over the way his team won away at VfB Stuttgart.
Tactical strength and key players
According to Reuters, Dortmund's defence in Stuttgart was almost flawless, while the attacking play remained direct and effective. Waldemar Anton, who moved from VfB to BVB in 2024, praised the controlled style of play and noted: “We have played significantly better forward and allowed very, very little.” The decisive goal in the 70th minute came from Maximilian Beier, assisted by Jobe Bellingham, who came from the right and fed Beier from the left into the penalty area. In addition to German international Felix Nmecha, the new signings Joane Gadou, a 19‑year‑old Frenchman of Ivorian descent, and Joey Veerman, 27, from PSV Eindhoven, strengthened the defence and the build‑up play. Kovač highlighted the improved manner in which the BVB formation, once considered the second‑best Bundesliga side, operated, and recalled Beier's previous spell at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
League leadership and outlook
After the win, BVB leads the Bundesliga with twelve points after four matchdays, two points ahead of FC Bayern, who most recently recorded a 3‑2 victory over TSG Hoffenheim. The team has kept a clean sheet in the first four rounds and has already secured three 0‑0 draws, underscoring the stability of a top‑team. Kovač sees the current form as an exclamation point for competitiveness against the Munich side and emphasizes that the team can match them defensively. The analysis was also published in Die Zeit and is available via the official 4AF app.
The 27‑year‑old centre‑back Waldemar Anton, who moved from VfB Stuttgart to Borussia Dortmund in 2024, is often booed by Stuttgart hardcore fans – a sign that the visitors have not yet fully accepted the new defence. Anton himself, however, pointed to the markedly more controlled style of play compared with last season and stressed that the team allowed very little. Kovač praised the robust performance and saw it as another indication of a settled top‑team.