Borussia Dortmund vs. VfB Stuttgart: How do they stack up?
It's the game that has produced the most goals in Bundesliga history (370) and it's a fixture that this weekend represents fresh starts and burning ambition. So, just where are the key battles likely to be fought and what are the numbers that might count when Borussia Dortmund face VfB Stuttgart this weekend? bundesliga.com investigates ...
Niko Kovač vs. Sebastian Hoeneß
"It's a new beginning for all of us." So said BVB’s new man at the helm, Kovač, as he prepared his team for a highly tricky fixture against Stuttgart in his first game in charge of the Black-and-Yellows.
In Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeneß, the former Croatia international will clasp hands with a someone familiar to him prior to kick-off at the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. During Kovač’s most successful coaching stint to date, he oversaw a Bayern Munich Bundesliga and DFB Cup double win in 2019 while Hoeneß was also enjoying glory in charge of the Bavarian giants’ second team.
Watch: Kovač settles in at Dortmund
“Stuttgart are a team that have developed really well since Sebastian has been there,” Kovač noted this week. Indeed, the former Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern (among others) midfielder failed to find a way past Hoeneß’s Stuttgart while most recently in charge of Wolfsburg, Kovač’s Wolves going down twice to VfB last term.
For Hoeneß, one of the more challenging aspects of this Matchday 21 encounter will be trying to second guess what his coaching counterpart might try tactically in his debut in the BVB dugout. “When a new coach takes over and plays his first game, the preparation for the opponent is usually a little more … ‘special,’” Stuttgart’s tactician said. “(Therefore), we look to ourselves; will try to carry out our plan and then quickly study how the game is developing,” the 42-year-old continued.
With the Swabians buoyed by Wednesday’s much-needed win against Augsburg that took them into the DFB Cup semi-finals while ending a run of three losses on the spin, Hoeneß will be hoping to counter Dortmund’s new-coach bounce.
Although VfB have won four of the last five against the Black-and-Yellows – including a 5-1 cruise in the reverse fixture this season – Stuttgart and Hoeneß will be wary of the Kovač effect on the home players. “The boys are concentrated and focused,” Dortmund’s new man insisted in the build-up. “I think they can hardly wait to play and get the points that we urgently need.”
Watch: Last time out - when Stuttgart stunned Dortmund
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Solid home form vs. vocal away support
Despite the fact that Nuri Şahin’s tenure in the Borussia hot-seat did not go as well as all concerned would have wished, one of the aspects that stood out during the ex-BVB midfielder’s time in charge in North Rhine-Westphalia was Dortmund’s impressive home record. Until as recently as Matchday 16, Die Schwarzgelben boasted the best home form in the top-flight.
They have since slipped to fourth in those particular standings (although level on home points with third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt), but that won’t make the Signal Iduna Park any less intimidating for Stuttgart, who, by contrast, just make it into the top ten in the away stakes, with three wins from nine games on their travels.
Watch: inside Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park
It would, of course, take a monumental collective effort to outroar the vociferous and world-renowned support and noise inside Dortmund’s intimidating stadium, but 8,000 travelling Stuttgart fans will attempt to do just that this weekend. In his pre-match press conference, even Hoeneß spoke of the impact the travelling fans might have on this game, just as they did last April, when pushing their team to a 1-0 victory at Borussia’s cathedral of football.
Pascal Groß vs. Angelo Stiller
As mentioned elsewhere on bundesliga.com this week, the 33-year-old Germany international Groß could be just the man Dortmund coach Kovač has in mind to play a key central role in his new set-up. The versatile midfielder is adept at linking defence and attack, can build excitement from a deep-lying position or even join the base of the attack to provide support when needed.
Against Stuttgart, Groß’s importance in the engine room could become even more pronounced with fellow midfielder Felix Nmecha laid low by a ligament injury. With a couple of assists to show from his 18 Bundesliga appearances to date this season, the former Ingolstadt and Brighton & Hove Albion player Groß has won 91 tackles and completed almost 85 per cent of his passes. His value to Kovač’s cause this weekend cannot be understated.
Watch: Pass master Angelo Stiller
The same can be said of Stiller’s importance to Stuttgart’s hopes of reversing an unwanted trend of two straight Bundesliga losses that checked the team’s forward momentum. Coach Hoeneß has never presided over three top-tier defeats on the bounce in charge of VfB and he will look to Stiller to direct proceedings and bring a sense of control amid the electric atmosphere inside the Westfalenstadion.
The 23-year-old – who made his senior Germany bow last September – has more on-field minutes than any other Stuttgart player this season and along with dictating the rhythm at the heart of the team, has also contributed with several games in defence and four assists at the other end of the pitch. In fact, the latter total make Stiller Stuttgart’s top assist provider, along with Maximilian Mittelstädt, while goals in the UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup have only enhanced his reputation even further.
Winning 55 per cent of his duels to date in 2024/25, holding a 90 per cent successful pass rate and on the ball on average 95 times per 90 minutes (more than any other Stuttgart player), expect Stiller to be at the heart of any VfB success in Dortmund.
Attacking thrust vs. wide approach
With an attack line designed to excite, Dortmund’s forward-thinking troop will – as ever – aim to entertain their supporters with quick-fire transitions. Julian Brandt, Jamie Gittens and Karim Adeyemi will likely be ordered to carry on as usual in their creative attempts to feed striker Serhou Guirassy (more on whom later) and the trio have shown at various times during this campaign that they can delight in doing so.
Brandt’s seven goal involvements are made up of two goals and five assists, the latter being the highest total at BVB with Rami Bensebaini. The Germany international’s 70 shot involvements, meanwhile, mark him out as one of the best creators in the Bundesliga this season. Combined with Gittens – who boasts seven goals and three assists and a division-high 75 dribbles – Dortmund are clearly an attacking handful only made all the more fearsome with Adeyemi’s prolific turn of pace and goal threat.
Watch: Chris Führich in action for Stuttgart
Likely to be shorn of one of their more potent attack-minded players in Enzo Millot due to an ankle issue (striker Nick Woltemade is also a doubt with illness), Stuttgart will nonetheless continue to place the majority of their attacking focus down the flanks as they seek to provide Deniz Undav (and likely Ermedin Demirović) with the ammunition they hope can hurt Saturday’s hosts.
To that end, flying full-back Mittelstädt (five direct goal involvements and a Bundesliga best 68 crosses from open play) and Chris Führich (882 intensive runs, 19 shots) will try to bamboozle Borussia down the left, with the always menacing Jamie Leweling (top speed 21.12 mp/h) will be tasked with linking up with the Stuttgart attack from the opposite flank.
Guirassy vs. Undav
Prolific teammates last season, on opposite sides on Saturday, Dortmund’s in-form forward Guirassy and Stuttgart’s striking sensation Undav will be eager to have the final say in the outcome of what promises to be an unmissable encounter.
Watch: Guirassy & Gittens - Dortmund’s G-Force
A scorer of 44 goals in just 58 appearances in all competitions for the Swabians - one of which was last season's winner in this fixture in Dortmund - Guirassy picked up where he left off after switching allegiances this term and is currently BVB's top scorer with nine goals in 17 Bundesliga games.
Guirassy also has the most shots on goal (44) of all Borussia players while he continues to demonstrate his striking prowess with four goals (three headers) directly from crosses. Only Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick has more in that category.
Watch: Stuttgart's Mr. Unpredictable, Deniz Undav
Somewhat remarkably, Undav has also racked up 44 shots on goal for Stuttgart – although the 28-year-old striker has done so in fewer games, having sat out six Bundesliga matches with a hamstring issue. Of the striker’s seven Bundesliga goals this term, four have put his side 1-0 in front and three have come as a substitute (the latter a joint-top total for a sub in the Bundesliga so far this season).
Just one goal shy of his 30th in all competitions for Stuttgart, Undav will be raring to hit that mini-milestone when he lines out to face Dortmund.
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