Kovač hails Beier after winner against Stuttgart
Dortmund's coach praised Maximilian Beier's goal against Stuttgart, saying it proved the squad's depth despite the midfielder's national team snub.
Niko Kovač singled out Maximilian Beier after the midfielder's goal settled a 1-0 win over Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, pointing to his absence from the German squad as proof of the strength Dortmund can call on.
"The best stories are written by life itself. Maxi wasn't picked for the national team, but today he scored. In the end that proves we have a terrific squad. He can play anywhere, and I'm always 100 per cent sure of what to expect from him. And today he rewarded himself," Kovač said.
Beier converted a Jobe Bellingham cross for the only goal, a strike flagged on 19 September as the one that sent Dortmund top of the table. Four games in, they sit on 12 points, two clear of Bayern and Freiburg going into the international break — the window for which Beier was overlooked by the German selectors.
Kovač, himself a former midfielder, framed the goal as a squad statement rather than an individual one. If Beier keeps producing in a shirt he was not picked to wear for his country, the omission becomes harder to repeat next time.
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