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Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac slammed his team for a sloppy beginning in their 2-2 draw with AS Roma on Saturday. The BVB fell behind by two goals inside the opening 10 minutes of the clash as Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante struck apiece to give the Giallorossi a shock 2-0 lead. A fabulous run from Cristante on the right followed by a cross inside the box set the cat among the pigeons as Dortmund scrambled to clear it away. But Dyabala, who started the move with a simple pass for Cristante, pops up inside the box to slam it home from a tight angle as Roma led 1-0 after just four minutes. The Serie A giants, who finished third in the Italian top-flight last season, doubled their advantage soon after when Cristante headed home a perfect corner delivery from Dybala. The Argentine ace arrowed a low shot inside the box where Cristante, totally unmarked, lept at the near post and steered it home for 2-0 as Dortmund were caught napping. Although the Prussians fought their way back into the tie with two goals of their own, Kovac lamented a lackluster start from his team that nearly ended in a disaster for them. Speaking to the press after the clash, he said: "That was a great game for the fans. But we didn’t start the game well. In the first eight minutes, we weren’t even in the game—we lost focus twice—but we showed a great response after that." Just three minutes after falling 2-0 behind, Dortmund found one back through World Cup returnee Julian Ryerson, who then assisted Serhou Guirassy for the equalizer in the 28th minute. While he content with the character his team showed to fight their way back into the tie, Kovac also criticised the BVB for missing numerous chances in the second half. "Coming back from a 0–2 deficit against an Italian team isn’t exactly easy. And especially in the second half, we squandered a few chances. We would have liked to win, but that doesn’t count in preseason. Things really get going starting next week." Dortmund were in cruise control after the break, dominating possession and seeing plenty of chances come their way but a third goal remained elusive as the side had to settle for a draw. The Bundesliga giants officially kick start their 2026-27 campaign against Bayern Munich next Saturday in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup.