Borussia Dortmund will look to build on their perfect start to the Bundesliga season when they hit the road to square up against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.
VfB Stuttgart will be hoping to return to winning ways when they welcome Borussia Dortmund to the MHPArena on Saturday evening. While the home team will look to bounce back, the Black and Yellows will be hoping to build on their recent dominance.
The hosts are currently 14th on the points table with three points in their three outings. They started the campaign with a hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich, but managed to bounce back against FC Koln before dropping all three points against Hoffenheim.
While they have only won one out of their three league games, Stuttgart have won their opening games in the DFB-Pokal and Champions League. Die Schwaben will be hopeful of causing an upset and getting their league campaign back on track.
Meanwhile, the visitors started the season with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Super Cup. While it was a disappointing start, Borussia Dortmund have been on fire since then. They have won each of their five games since, including three league outings.
The visitors are heading into this fixture on the back of a clinical 3-0 win over Paderborn, and will be confident about their chances of winning against Stuttgart away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
VfB Stuttgart
The home team will be without the services of Tiago Tomas (muscle), Luca Jaquez (muscle), Jeremy Arevalo (upper back), Dan-Axel Zagadou (hamstring), Justin Diehl (thigh), Dennis Seimen (hamstring), and Lorenz Assignon (shoulder). Meanwhile, Nikolas Nartey (hamstring) remains a doubt for this outing.
VfB Stuttgart are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Fabian Bredlow starting between the sticks. Finn Jeltsch, Jeff Chabot, and Maximilian Mittelstadt should form the back three, with the trio tasked with keeping the opposition attackers at bay.
Josha Vagnoman and Chris Fuhrich are expected to operate as the wing-backs, providing width and supporting on both ends of the pitch. Angelo Stiller and Grischa Promel should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo looking to ensure Dortmund midfielders do not run the show.
Bilal El Khannouss and Deniz Undav are likely to feature behind Dzenan Pejcinovic, who will lead the line for Stuttgart against Borussia Dortmund. The attacking trio will look to combine effectively and create problems for the opposition defence.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Bredlow; Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Vagnoman, Promel, Stiller, Fuhrich; Undav, El Khannouss; Pejcinovic
Borussia Dortmund
The visitors will be without the services of Emre Can (knee), Giannis Konstantelias (knee), Justin Lerma (muscle), and Filippo Mane (muscle), with all four in the treatment room. Apart from the quartet, everyone else is expected to be available for selection.
Dortmund will also line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Gregor Kobel will take charge in goal. Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Joane Gadou should form the back three. The trio will be hoping to keep a clean sheet and help their team continue their winning streak.
Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson are expected to operate as the wing-backs. They will provide support to the back three and will look to join the attack at every possible opportunity. Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo looking to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
Ethan Nwaneri and Fabio Silva are likely to feature behind Serhou Guirassy. The two attacking midfielders will look to support the striker and create opportunities in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Gadou; Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson; Nwaneri, Silva; Guirassy
Key Stats
- VfB Stuttgart have lost two out of their three league outings in the new campaign.
- The two teams have faced each other on 30 occasions; Dortmund have won 16 times, while Stuttgart have come out on top on seven occasions.
- Borussia Dortmund have won each of their last five games in all competitions.
- Last time VfB Stuttgart hosted Borussia Dortmund, they ended up losing 2-0.
- Stuttgart have bagged 13 goals in their last five games, while Dortmund have scored 16 goals.
Player to Watch
Serhou Guirassy
The 30-year-old has been one of the standout performers for Dortmund since joining them in the summer of 2024. Last season, Guirassy was involved in 46 matches across competitions. He racked up over 3,200 minutes and ended up contributing towards 28 goals (22 goals, 6 assists).
More importantly, the Guinean international has started the new campaign in fine fashion with four goals and two assists in his five outings. He will look to build on the impressive start and help his team keep their winning streak intact.
Prediction
VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
VfB Stuttgart will have the advantage of playing at home and have shown that they can cause problems despite their inconsistent league form. They have also scored 13 goals across their last five matches, so Borussia Dortmund will need to remain disciplined defensively.
The hosts should create a few opportunities, but stopping Dortmund’s attack for 90 minutes could prove difficult. The Black and Yellows have won each of their last five matches and will head into this fixture full of confidence after their comfortable victory over Paderborn.
Niko Kovac’s men have looked impressive in the early stages of the campaign and should have enough quality to control the game and create chances. Stuttgart could make things difficult at home and may find the back of the net, but Dortmund should eventually secure another three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
