BERLIN, Feb 10, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Fresh from defeat on his Borussia Dortmund debut, coach Niko Kovac was confident his struggling side -- Champions League finalists in June -- were closer to a return to form than many think.

Dortmund play the first leg of their knockout playoff at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday, having won just three of their past 13 games.

Already out of the German Cup, Dortmund sit 11th in the Bundesliga, seven points outside the top four and a whopping 25 behind league leaders Bayern Munich with 21 games played.

Aided by a manageable draw -- only two of Dortmund's eight Champions League opponents finished the group stage in the top half of the table -- they ended up a respectable 10th in the 36-team tournament.

The placing drew Dortmund up against Portuguese champions Sporting, who have had their own struggles in the competition since the departure of coach Ruben Amorim to Manchester United.

Former Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Monaco coach Kovac replaced Nuri Sahin who was sacked in January, just seven months after taking over the top job.

Kovac has not been afforded the luxury of time.

After a 2-1 home loss to top-four rivals Stuttgart on Saturday, Kovac said his side was close to a turnaround.

"We couldn't have been unluckier. The team gave it their all. The defeat hurts because it was unnecessary," he said.

For Tuesday's trip to Portugal, Kovac added "we just need to do a little something here and there, small tweaks.

"Otherwise we need to stay true to what we've shown."

- 'Lacked determination' -

Kovac is known for a focus on hard work and discipline, something he emphasised in his opening press conference.

The 53-year-old ruled out wholesale changes at the club and said Dortmund would right the ship by focusing on five key elements: "discipline, order, passion, aggressiveness and intensity."

These elements, ever present in victories against Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Newcastle and AC Milan in last season's run to the Champions League final, have been sorely lacking in 2024-25.

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, who along with Sporting CEO Lars Ricken brought Kovac to the club, admitted as much on Saturday.

"We lacked a bit of luck in the decisive moments, but also a bit of clarity and determination."

While Kovac's intensity has often meant relatively short spells in charge -- he has never coached more than 100 games at any one club -- his style has been particularly suited to cup competitions.

He won the German Cup with Eintracht Frankfurt and then Bayern in consecutive seasons.

In his first year in France, he took Monaco to the French Cup final, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain.

In his only season in the Champions League, Kovac's Bayern were eliminated by Jurgen Klopp's title-bound Liverpool in 2018-19.

Fortunately for Kovac and Dortmund, Sporting are unlikely to present a similar type of challenge.

Still top of the Portuguese league, they have struggled since Amorim's move to Old Trafford.

Under Amorim, Sporting opened the competition with three wins and a draw, including a dominant 4-1 thrashing of Manchester City

Since Amorim's departure however, Sporting have lost three and drawn one of their Champions League games, falling from the top eight to 23rd.