One league game at a time for Dortmund as Champions League future in doubt

Borussia Dortmund will only be focusing on Sunday's game against third-placed Mainz 05 and not waste any thought on the Bundesliga's eight remaining matches, coach Niko Kovac said on Friday, with Champions League qualification in the balance.

Dortmund, who take on Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final next month, have struggled in the Bundesliga and are 11th on 35 points, ten off fourth place, the last automatic Champions League qualification spot, with eight league games left to play.

"It is only about the game against third-placed Mainz 05," Kovac told a press conference. "We have to win it any way we can.

"We are expected to win this game. We are not looking at the eight remaining (league) matches but focus only on the game this weekend."

Dortmund have lost four of their last six league games, including their last two, against Augsburg and RB Leipzig.

"We have to win the game on Sunday and to do it we need a top performance over most of the game," Kovac said. "No team can dominate over 90 minutes. But we have to make sure we do it for more than 45 minutes.

"If we do that, then we have good chances of winning the game."