Borussia Dortmund were beaten in Norway on Wednesday after Fredrik Sjøvold scored the only goal in the 52nd minute. Kovac made five changes to his starting line-up, but his side struggled for much of the contest before a quadruple substitution improved their performance.
“I picked the team, or selected the players, and it didn’t go particularly well. We weren’t in the game until the 60th minute,” the Dortmund coach said after the match.
Kovac acknowledged that his side only began to take control after he made four changes, but by then the Bundesliga club were chasing the game.
The coach had rotated his starting eleven following Dortmund’s 2-2 Bundesliga draw with Werder Bremen. The selection included several players who had not started the previous match, while Felix Nmecha, Ethan Nwaneri, Marcel Sabitzer and Serhou Guirassy began on the bench.
The result raised questions about the strength of Dortmund’s second-choice options, but Kovac rejected the suggestion that the squad lacked sufficient quality.
“We have a big squad, and every player in it has earned the right to be here,” he said.
“However, we certainly got it wrong with the players who started today. But I am the one who made that decision, and I take full responsibility.”
The defeat was a frustrating setback for Dortmund, who had been unable to impose themselves before the changes. Kovac’s side struggled both in possession and without the ball, allowing the Norwegian hosts to dictate the tempo for long periods.
Sjøvold’s goal left Dortmund needing to find a response, and the changes brought greater attacking threat. The visitors created opportunities late on, but could not find an equaliser.
Kovac did not attempt to shift the blame onto the players who had been selected. Instead, he accepted that his decisions had contributed to the disappointing performance and outcome.
Dortmund now have to respond in their next fixtures after a European night in which the coach’s tactical adjustments came too late to prevent defeat.