Kovac says Dortmund lacked passion and intensity in defeat to Bodo/Glimt

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Niko Kovac accused his Borussia Dortmund players of lacking passion and intensity following their disappointing 1-0 Champions League defeat to Bodo/Glimt.

Norwegian side Bodo, who beat Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter during their excellent European run last term, got their first points in the 2026-27 edition on Wednesday. 

Fredrik Sjovold slotted past Gregor Kobel early in the second half to give Bodo a deserved lead and Dortmund were unable to fight back, with Ethan Nwaneri missing their two best chances to equalise.

Dortmund have now lost their last four away games in the Champions League. It is only the third time in their European Cup or Champions League history that they have suffered that fate, after four-match losing runs between 1956 and 1958 and between 2019 and 2020.

The Bundesliga giants only managed nine shots and 0.79 expected goals (xG), compared to Bodo amassing 1.11 xG from 11 attempts, while the hosts also generated three Opta-defined big chances, with BVB managing one.

“We basically weren’t in the game until after conceding,” Kovac said afterwards. “In the first half, we didn’t play with the passion or intensity that we need in order to win. 

“It was only after the quadruple substitution that we got into the game more and took control of it somewhat. 

“But up until that point, the opposition were clearly the better team. We can’t complain. We deserved to lose the game.”

Having won 3-2 at home to Villarreal on matchday one, Dortmund have three points on the board ahead of a long trip to Azerbaijan to face Sabah on Tuesday 20, with a Bundesliga fixture at Union Berlin to come before then.

Disappointing result, but a privilege to have you by our side.  https://t.co/0BtsnCggd1

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 14, 2026

Defender Waldemar Anton echoed his head coach’s sentiments, saying Dortmund’s unfamiliarity with the Aspmyra Stadion’s artificial pitch was no excuse for their loss.

“No, those are excuses. We knew beforehand what to expect. We’re not using that as an excuse,” Anton said.

“We simply didn’t play well in the first half, both with and without the ball. We were always a step too late. 

“We weren’t aggressive enough, and we lacked intensity. What we showed was clearly not enough. That was the problem, especially in the first half.”

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