VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund will aim to continue their unbeaten runs in the Bundesliga when they clash at the MHPArena on Saturday.
The 2025/26 Bundesliga season resumes this weekend with Matchday 28. The action on Saturday will start with six simultaneous matches before ending with VfB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund at the MHPArena, with the game featuring two teams that are the favourites to secure UEFA Champions League qualification after Bayern Munich.
VfB Stuttgart’s progress under Sebastian Hoeness has continued this season. While the Swabians began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Super Cup and have bowed out of the UEFA Europa League, they are on course to secure a top-four finish in the Bundesliga and have reached the DFB Pokal semi-finals. The hosts are on an impressive run in the league, having not lost their last six matches.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund will have nothing to play for in the final weeks of the 2025/26 season after bowing out of each cup competition. While the Black and Yellows are still in mathematical contention of winning the Bundesliga title, they are nine points behind Bayern Munich, with the hopes fading. Nevertheless, Niko Kovac’s men are playing well, having lost only one of their last 20 league games.
The reverse fixture was a riveting affair, which ended in a 3-3 draw, as VfB Stuttgart came from two goals down to hold Borussia Dortmund to a stalemate. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
VfB Stuttgart
Sebastian Hoeness has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The VfB Stuttgart head coach will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player vs Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Dan-Axel Zagadou is the only absentee, with the former Borussia Dortmund defender recovering from a muscular injury. Otherwise, Hoeness has a full-strength squad, and he will name his strongest eleven this weekend.
Alexander Nubel is an automatic pick between the sticks, with VfB Stuttgart lining up in a 3-4-1-2 formation in front of him vs Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The central defensive unit will feature Finn Jeltsch, Julian Chabot and Ramon Hendriks. Meanwhile, Jamie Leweling and Chris Fuhrichs will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller in the middle of the park. Finally, Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic will be the two strikers for the home side, with Bilal El Khannouss reprising the no. 10 role and taking creative charge in the advanced areas.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Nubel; Jeltsch, Chabot, Hendriks; Leweling, Karazor, Stiller, Fuhrich; El Khannouss; Demirovic, Undav
Borussia Dortmund
Like his counterpart in the VfB Stuttgart dugout, Niko Kovac has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the MHPArena. The Borussia Dortmund head coach may be without three first-team players on Saturday.
Emre Can and Felix Nmecha are the most notable absentees, with the German duo recovering from knee injuries. Additionally, Kovac is sweating over Filippo Mane’s fitness, with the youngster struggling with a thigh issue.
Gregor Kobel is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Borussia Dortmund lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him vs VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. The central defensive unit will feature Luca Reggiani, Waldemar Anton, and Nico Schlotterbeck. Meanwhile, Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson will start as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width from the flanks, with Ryerson being one of the most prolific creators in the Bundesliga this season. As for the midfield unit, Jobe Bellingham should join Marcel Sabitzer in the central areas, hoping to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Serhou Guirassy will spearhead the Borussia Dortmund attack against Stuttgart, with Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kobel; Reggiani, Anton, Schlotterbeck; Ryerson, Bellingham, Sabitzer, Svensson; Adeyemi, Guirassy, Beier
Key Stats
- VfB Stuttgart are on a six-game unbeaten run vs Borussia Dortmund, and they also have the better head-to-head record with 44 wins (D25 L41).
- Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund have the highest-scoring rivalry in Bundesliga history, splitting 379 goals in 110 meetings (188 for VfB Stuttgart and 191 for Borussia Dortmund).
- Borussia Dortmund’s Klassiker loss to Bayern Munich a few weeks ago remains their only defeat in their last 20 Bundesliga outings.
- On the other hand, VfB Stuttgart have suffered only one defeat in their 14 most recent Bundesliga matches.
- Julian Ryerson has racked up nine assists in his last ten Bundesliga outings. Only Michael Olise has registered more than the Norwegian full-back’s overall tally of 12. Meanwhile, he has hit more crosses from open play than any other player apart from Vladimir Coufal
Player to Watch
Serhou Guirassy
While Karim Adeyemi, Deniz Undav, and Bilal El Khannouss were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Serhou Guirassy as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash between VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund at the MHPArena.
While the Guinean international has not been at his best this season, he has scored seven goals in his last eight Bundesliga matches, most recently helping Borussia Dortmund wipe out a two-goal deficit to beat Hamburger SV 3-2 before the international break. With the Black and Yellows eager to keep their faint title hopes alive, the former VfB Stuttgart striker will hold the key for the away side.
Prediction
VfB Stuttgart 2-2 Borussia Dortmund
VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund waged battle in arguably the most engrossing match of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season when they locked horns in the reverse fixture. Saturday’s league tie should be no different, particularly with the two sides showing a soft underbelly at the back.
An end-to-end affair is on the cards, and the usual suspects will deliver the goods in the final third, with Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav making their mark. However, like the reverse fixture, there won’t be anything to separate VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund, with The Hard Tackle predicting a 2-2 draw.
