VfB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund preview, H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

Borussia Dortmund will take the trip to Ludwigsburg, Germany to face VfB Stuttgart at the MHPArena in what promises to be an entertaining attacking affair on Sunday afternoon.

Stuttgart’s recent form have been marked by inconsistencies, with three wins, two losses, and a draw in their last six matches across all competitions.

They will be keen to reduce the gap to Dortmund, who currently occupy second place in the Bundesliga, during their upcoming match on Sunday. Meanwhile, Stuttgart, sitting in tenth place, will be mindful of not falling further behind their higher-ranked opponent.

In their last Bundesliga game, Stuttgart earned a 3-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia-Park. Ermedin Demirovic scored twice after Denis Undav opened the scoring to give Sebastian Hoeneß’s side their first win after three matches.

The Swabians hoped to capitalise on their first win of the Bundesliga season when they travelled to Spain to face Champions League holders, Real Madrid.

However, Stuttgart extended their winless run against Spanish opposition in the UEFA Champions League to seven matches after playing out a 3-1 loss to Laliga Champions, Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday night.

It was their first European participation since 2013 where they lost a qualifying match to Croatian side, Rijeka in 2013.

Stuttgart controlled the early proceedings while Real Madrid began sluggishly, with the German side generating numerous clear-cut chances. However, Thibaut Courtois’ impressive goalkeeping efforts denied them in the first half.

Ancelotti’s halftime talk sparked a response, as Real Madrid came out firing. Rodrygo set up Kylian Mbappe for an easy tap-in less than a minute after the restart. With just over 20 minutes left, Deniz Undav levelled the score for Stuttgart with a precise back-post header into the far corner. Yet, in classic Real Madrid fashion, they reclaimed the lead despite not being at their best, with Rudiger nodding in a Luka Modric corner to make it 2-1. Endrick then capped off the win with a stunning finish.

On the other hand, Dortmund have kicked off the new campaign impressively under new coach Nuri Sahin, securing four wins and a draw. Their away form has been exceptional, remaining unbeaten in four consecutive away games.

On Wednesday, they easily dispatched Club Brugge 3-0 at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Sahin’s side knows they must avoid dropping points against Stuttgart if they hope to keep up with Bayern Munich in the table.

Dortmund’s recent form and tactical tweaks under new coach Nuri Şahin suggest they are well-positioned to outclass Stuttgart at the MHPArena. Their commanding 4-2 triumph over Heidenheim, who topped the early Bundesliga standings and hadn’t conceded prior, highlights their offensive strength.

Şahin’s impact is clear in Dortmund’s fast-paced, aggressive play, reminiscent of Jürgen Klopp’s era when Şahin was a key figure on the field. This renewed approach has injected energy into the squad, making them more dynamic and harder to predict.

The arrival of Serhou Guirassy, Stuttgart’s top scorer last season, adds even more firepower to Dortmund’s front line. While he didn’t find the net on his anticipated debut, his involvement suggests he could be a pivotal player this season.

In their last Bundesliga fixture, Karim Adeyemi netted twice and provided an assist as the Black and Yellows overtook Heidenheim at the Bundesliga summit while extending Şahin’s unbeaten start as head coach to four competitive games.

Heidenheim, who came into the match as undefeated league leaders, quickly lost their top spot after an explosive start from Dortmund. Donyell Malen slotted home from Adeyemi’s pass just 12 minutes into the game.

Malen was instrumental once more, breaking free and setting up Julian Brandt, who cleverly relayed the ball to Adeyemi, allowing him to slot it beneath Müller from inside the box.

Though Marvin Pieringer pulled one back with a textbook header, Dortmund quickly reestablished their two-goal lead. Debutant Serhou Guirassy executed a brilliant dummy on Julian Ryerson’s low cross, setting up Adeyemi for a composed first-time finish past Müller.

Maximilian Breunig added tension with a well-taken penalty after Niklas Süle’s foul on Mikkel Kaufmann. However, a handball from Omar Traoré led to a late penalty for Emre Can, who sealed the victory, for the Black and Yellows.

VfB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund match details

• Date: Sunday, September 22, 2024
• Location: Stuttgart, Germany
• Venue: MHPArena
• Kick-off Time: 04:30 PM BST, 03:30 PM UTC, 11:30 AM ET
• Tickets: Fans can buy Borussia Dortmund tickets through the club marketplaces or via a reseller such as Seatsnet.com.

Match stats and head-to-head

• Sebastian Hoeneß’s side have won six of their last matches at the MPHArena.

• Dortmund have won four of their last five matches across all competitions.

• Dortmund have won three of their last six away matches.

• Stuttgart were unscathed against Dortmund last season, defeating them on all three occasions including the DFB Cup round of 16 tie.

• The clash between these two sides has recorded 364 goals scored — the most number of goals recorded by a single fixture in Bundesliga history.

• The last three matches between these two sides have seen the first 45 minutes end in a draw, with the Stuttgart emerging as winners in the second half.

• At least two goals have been scored in Stuttgart’s last nine matches in the Bundesliga.

• Despite starting the season with a loss and a draw, the Swabians are unbeaten in 17 of their last 19 matches in the Bundesliga.

Team news

Sebastian Hoeness faces the challenge of managing his team without Ameen Al Dakhil who is out with a muscle injury and Justin Diehl who is recuperating from a shoulder problem. Leonidas Stergiou is recovering from a back problem while Nikolas Nartey is sidelined with a knee injury.

For Dortmund, Giovanni Reyna is the sole injury concern. The American midfielder is sidelined with a groin strain and is expected to return in early October.

Şahin faces a challenging yet fortunate dilemma regarding his starting line-up for Sunday’s visit to the MHPArena. Forward Jamie Gittens is brimming with confidence after scoring twice late in the midweek Champions League win over Club Brugge, bringing his total to four goals in all competitions this season. Meanwhile, first-choice striker Adeyemi, also impressed – scoring twice in last weekend’s victory over Heidenheim, leaving the manager with a selection headache on his wide option.

Predicted starting lineup

Stuttgart predicted starting lineup.

Nübel; Vagnoman, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstädt; Karazor, Stiller, Rieder, Millot Undav; Demirovic.

Borussia Dortmund predicted starting lineup.

Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Groß, Malen, Brandt; Adeyemi, Guirassy.

Prediction

Dortmund have started the season remarkably well conceding only two goals and winning two of their four matches across all competitions where they have remained unbeaten.

They’ll look to revenge their humiliating defeat thrice at the hands of Stuttgart last season and there’s no better time than now where the Swabians are not in their best form.

Stuttgart on the other hand have shown remarkable goalscoring prowess but bypassing a resolute Dortmund backline would be a daunting task for last season’s Bundesliga runner-up.

This clash is expected to be a high-level attacking affair and the team with the best defence is expected to come out on top.

We’re predicting a 3-1 win for Borussia Dortmund.