Borussia Dortmund 2025/26 Season Review – Solid League Campaign To Build On
BVB enjoyed what turned out to be an entertaining campaign, which saw Niko Kovac’s team finish as runners-up in the German top-flight for the first time since the 2022/23 season.
Although winning the Bundesliga title is the ultimate goal for Dortmund, regaining ‘the best of the rest’ tag behind the juggernaut that is Bayern Munich has to be considered a good result.
However, the lack of silverware won during the campaign will need to be addressed next season by Kovac and his team.
A strong defence unpinned their solid campaign
Dortmund’s solid campaign was built on solid defensive foundations, as BVB ended the season with the fewest goals conceded in the German top-flight, having conceded just 34 goals, two more than Bayern, who enjoyed a record-breaking campaign.
The performances of Swiss international goalkeeper Gregor Kobel played a big part in his team’s strong defensive stats, as the former Stuttgart stopper kept 15 clean sheets, which was not only a league high but also matched the club record held by Roman Weidenfeller for most clean sheets in a single campaign.
Kobel was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Year courtesy of his performances during the campaign. It was the third time in four years that he has won the award.
Another key component to BVB’s defensive solidity during the season was the presence of Germany international Niko Schlotterbeck in the heart of defence.
The 27-year-old was not only outstanding in defence, but also in attack, as he scored five goals and produced two assists. The defender was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Year alongside Kobel.
From highs to lows in the cup competitions
One of the team’s lows of the season was the disappointing campaigns in the cups at home and abroad.
Dortmund showcased their scintillating attacking football in the opening three matchweeks of the Champions League. However, they threw away a 4-2 lead against Juventus, drawing 4-4.
However, they followed that draw up with victories over Athletic Club and FC Copenhagen, scoring four goals in each win.
The results meant that Dortmund became the first team in competition history to begin their campaign by scoring exactly four goals in each of their opening three matches.
Kovac’s team suffered a defeat against Manchester City, but bounced back from the defeat by hammering Spanish outfit Villarreal 4-0.
After the victory over the Yellow Submarine, BVB’s Champions League campaign took a turn for the worse.
A 2-2 draw against the competition’s surprise package, Bodo/Glimt, plus two straight 2-0 losses to Tottenham and Inter, saw Kovac’s team miss out on automatic qualification for the knockout rounds.
Dortmund’s opponents in the play-off round were Atalanta, which looked like a highly winnable tie. BVB seemed to be sailing through to the next round.
However, an uncharacteristically poor defensive display in Bergamo led to a 4-1 defeat on the night, a 4-3 aggregate loss, and an early exit from European football’s elite competition. The loss brought a disappointing ending to what started in such an enthralling style for Dortmund.
Meanwhile, Dortmund also suffered a domestic cup disappointment with a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the DFB Pokal.
A farewell to first-team players
The 2025/26 season saw the departure of some Borussia Dortmund high-profile players, including Niklas Sule, Julian Brandt and Salih Ozcan.
Sule decided to call time on his career due to persistent injury issues. The centre-back had joined BVB in 2022, joining as a free agent from arch-rivals Bayern Munich. He was a regular starter in his first season, but injuries restricted him for the following three campaigns.
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Brandt was almost part of the furniture at Dortmund. The attacking midfielder joined Dortmund from Bayer Leverkusen in 2019 and became a crowd favourite with his goals and assists. The 30-year-old is leaving due to the expiration of his contract.
Central midfielder Ozcan will also leave as a free agent this summer. The 28-year-old joined BVB from FC Koln in 2022 and has experienced mixed fortunes during his time in Dortmund.
Solid foundations to build on for next season
The 2025/26 season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Borussia Dortmund fans. At times, the team have been lethal in attack and sturdy at the back, but they have failed to get big results when it matters, such as in cup competitions.
Overall, Niko Kovac has enjoyed a decent full season in charge of BVB, despite the lack of silverware. However, the Croatian does now have solid foundations from which to build a trophy-winning team in season 2026/27.
