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Kovac, a former Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich, took charge of Dortmund at the end of January after the dismissal of former coach Nuri Sahin.

He guided it past Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League play-off round, with the reward being a Round of 16 meeting with Lille, which it hosts in the first leg this week.

Dortmund has only lost one of its past 16 home matches in the UEFA Champions League – 10 wins and five draws – with that lone defeat coming against Barcelona last December  when it lost 3-2. 

It is also unbeaten in its past five home games in the knockout stages of the competition – four wins and a draw – having gone all the way to the final last term.

Dortmund is languishing in 10th place in the Bundesliga and is at risk of missing out on European qualification for next season, but Kovac is enjoying the challenge of reviving the side.

"We have become more settled, we work hard every day on the training ground and in the meeting room. We are still far from where we want to be. But the way the boys are going along with it pleases me," Kovac said.

He added that Lille will be a formidable opponent, saying: "They play a very versatile brand of football. This will demand a lot of strength and concentration from us.

"They didn't make it into the top eight for nothing and have, for example, beaten Real Madrid. It's going to be a tough nut to crack."

The two teams have only met once before in European competition, with Dortmund winning on away goals in a two-legged UEFA Cup Round of 16 tie in 2002.

Given Dortmund's strong home record in Europe, Kovac believes the passionate support it receives at Signa Iduna Park could be a key advantage for his team.

He said: "Our stadium, it's a big castle. It's tough to play here – very tricky and very hard. I hope we can use the atmosphere to make an impression on Lille."