Borussia Dortmund summer signing Serhou Guirassy will face his former side VfB Stuttgart on Sunday night.
Stuttgart are set to host Borussia Dortmund at the MHPArena this Sunday in what promises to be an intriguing Bundesliga clash. After a mixed start to their season, Stuttgart will be keen to secure their second league win, while Dortmund aim to maintain their strong early form under new manager Nuri Sahin.
After a strong finish to last season, Stuttgart have faced some early challenges in the 2024/25 campaign. They started by losing the German Super Cup final to Bayer Leverkusen on penalties and then suffered a 3-1 defeat to Freiburg in their Bundesliga opener. A thrilling 3-3 draw against Mainz 05 followed, but Stuttgart finally secured their first league win with a convincing 3-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Despite the positive result, Stuttgart’s inconsistencies have continued. Their recent 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League highlighted the gap between them and Europe’s elite. Manager Sebastian Hoeness, however, remained optimistic, praising his team’s performance and courage at the Santiago Bernabeu.
At home, Stuttgart have been formidable, remaining unbeaten in their last 13 Bundesliga matches at the MHPArena. With 14 wins and only one loss in their previous 22 home games, they will look to leverage this strong form against Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund have enjoyed a promising start under Nuri Sahin. The former player-turned-manager has guided the team to four wins in his first five games, including an impressive 3-0 victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has been a standout performer, scoring twice against Brugge and showing great promise with four goals in just 180 minutes of play this season.
Sahin’s influence is already evident as Dortmund have adopted a more aggressive, front-foot style of play compared to the previous regime. This has resulted in two clean sheets in the league so far, matching their total from the last eight Bundesliga matches of the previous season. Despite this, Dortmund’s away form has been a concern, with two losses and a draw in their last three away league games. They will be eager to reverse this trend against Stuttgart.
Stuttgart’s home form makes them a tough opponent at the MHPArena, and they will be desperate to bounce back after their Champions League setback. Dortmund, on the other hand, are building momentum under Sahin and will be looking to capitalize on their recent performances.
This fixture promises to be a closely contested battle. Stuttgart’s defensive resilience at home, combined with Dortmund’s attacking prowess, sets the stage for an entertaining encounter. The Hard Tackle explores the possible lineups and strategies for this much-awaited match.
Team News & Tactics
VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart head into the clash with Borussia Dortmund with only one major long-term absentee. Justin Diehl, the promising forward, is sidelined until early November after dislocating his shoulder. This is a significant blow to their attacking options, but they have other key players available to step up in his absence.
There are, however, lingering concerns over the fitness of Ameen Al Dakhil, Leonidas Stergiou, and Nikolas Nartey. While these players are not expected to feature against Dortmund, they are anticipated to return to full training in the coming days. Manager Sebastian Hoeness will be hoping they regain match fitness soon to bolster the squad’s defensive depth.
Given the current defensive injuries, Hoeness is likely to stick with the same backline that started against Real Madrid. They are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation. Alexander Nubel will start between the posts, with Josha Vagnoman operating as the right-back. Anthony Rouault and Julian Chabot will likely partner as the centre-backs, while Maximilian Mittelstadt slots in at left-back.
In midfield, Hoeness may deploy a quartet of Jamie Leweling on the right wing, Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller in central midfield roles, and Fabian Rieder on the left. Up front, the attacking duo of Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirović will be tasked with leading the line, hoping to break down a solid Borussia Dortmund defence.
With a mix of youth and experience, Stuttgart will look to this formation and lineup to create opportunities against Dortmund while maintaining a solid defensive structure. The defensive absences could make this a challenging fixture, but the expected lineup still possesses the quality to pose problems for their visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Nubel; Vagnoman, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Leweling, Karazor, Stiller, Rieder; Undav, Demirovic
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund will be missing Giovanni Reyna for Sunday’s clash against Stuttgart, with the talented American sidelined due to injury. Fortunately, the rest of the squad is in good health, providing manager Nuri Sahin with several options to choose from as he looks to fine-tune his starting lineup.
Given the lacklustre offensive display from Donyell Malen against Club Brugge, Sahin may opt to shake up his forward line. Serhou Guirassy could be called upon to lead the attack in place of Malen, with Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Karim Adeyemi expected to flank him on either side. There is also a possibility of Felix Nmecha being included in the starting XI, though Julian Brandt is likely to retain his role as the attacking midfielder, orchestrating Dortmund’s offensive play.
Dortmund are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Gregor Kobel will start in goal, providing a strong presence between the posts. Julian Ryerson is likely to take up the right-back position, with Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck forming the central defensive partnership. Ramy Bensebaini is expected to complete the backline at left-back.
In midfield, Dortmund will likely field a double pivot with Felix Nmecha and Pascal Gross operating as the central midfielders. This pairing will be tasked with breaking up Stuttgart’s play and transitioning the ball forward.
In the attacking third, Julian Brandt is set to take up the role of the central attacking midfielder, pulling the strings behind the forward line. He will be supported on the flanks by Karim Adeyemi on the right and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens on the left. Serhou Guirassy is expected to lead the line as the central striker, providing a focal point for Dortmund’s attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Guirassy
Key Stats
- Stuttgart won all three of their competitive games against Borussia Dortmund last season, as many as in their previous 12 seasons combined (25 meetings). Sebastian Hoeneß is the first Stuttgart coach to record three consecutive wins against BVB since Christoph Daum (1992-1993).
- VfB Stuttgart are unbeaten in their last 13 Bundesliga home games (W9 D4), marking their longest home run in 15 years. They last went longer without losing at home between September 2006 and September 2007 under Armin Veh (19 home games).
- With seven points after three games, Nuri Sahin has led Borussia Dortmund to their best start to a Bundesliga season in six years, matching the seven points they had at this stage in 2018/19 under Lucien Favre.
- Borussia Dortmund have failed to win any of their last three Bundesliga away games, including last season (D1 L2). They have also failed to score in their last two away matches in the top flight, their longest goalless spell on the road since autumn 2019.
- VfB Stuttgart have scored in each of their last 19 Bundesliga games, the longest ongoing streak in the league. They could now equal their best run this century by finding the net in 20 consecutive top-flight matches, a feat last achieved in the 2009/10 season.
Player to Watch
Serhou Guirassy
The former Stuttgart man will return to his former hunting ground, flush with confidence following his goal against Real Madrid. Guirassy will be glad to have got the monkey off his back and having opened his account, he will be aiming to secure his first Bundesliga goal for Dortmund.
Stuttgart will be familiar with his style, and it remains to be seen if Guirassy will be shackled by it or will rise to the occasion and adapt to the challenge. Either way, if he turns up, Dortmund have a solid chance of coming away with three points at a venue that is amongst the most difficult to travel to in the Bundesliga.
Prediction
Vfb Stuttgart 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
VfB Stuttgart have been defensively shaky this season and given Borussia Dortmund’s confidence from their win over Club Brugge, The Hard Tackle predicts a win for the visitors on the night. We are going with a 3-1 win for Nuri Sahin and his charges.
