Borussia Dortmund return to Bundesliga action on Saturday against Stuttgart, a side that has become an unexpected obstacle in their pursuit of silverware. Despite optimism surrounding the appointment of Niko Kovac, Dortmund’s early-season struggles have once again placed their title aspirations in jeopardy.
Kovac, who took over in January with Dortmund in disarray, engineered an impressive resurgence by collecting 22 of 24 possible points, guiding the club into the Champions League. That momentum fuelled hopes of a genuine title challenge—something Dortmund have not achieved since lifting the Bundesliga shield 14 years ago.
However, after just 10 league matches, Dortmund already trail Bayern Munich by seven points, with Kovac’s side repeatedly squandering leads and failing to assert themselves against top and bottom teams alike.
Dortmund’s season has been defined by avoidable setbacks. Against relegation candidates St Pauli and Hamburg, they surrendered late equalisers away from home. Against title rivals Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, the 2024 Champions League finalists were outplayed.
Despite these shortcomings, Dortmund sit third, level on points with Stuttgart but ahead on goal difference. The standings, however, mask a more troubling trend: Stuttgart have consistently outperformed them in recent meetings.
Stuttgart, promoted as recently as the 2019–20 season, have enjoyed a remarkable upturn under Sebastian Hoeness, appointed in April 2023. Since then, Stuttgart are unbeaten in six matches against Dortmund, with five wins and one draw.
Even Dortmund’s aggressive recruitment—signing Stuttgart’s former talisman Serhou Guirassy and ex-captain Waldemar Anton in 2024—has done little to shift the balance. The streak remains intact.
Hoeness, speaking ahead of the match, admitted he wasn’t aware of Stuttgart’s dominant record:
“I like playing against Dortmund—you’re up against a top team. It’s fun, but I didn’t realise the record was so good. Playing in Dortmund is one of the toughest fixtures in the Bundesliga.”
Bayern Munich, held for the first time this season after dropping points at Union Berlin, aim to respond at home against Freiburg on Saturday.
Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning champions, travel to struggling Wolfsburg, while RB Leipzig, currently second, host Werder Bremen on Sunday.
Union Berlin defender Danilho Doekhi played a pivotal role last weekend, scoring twice in a resilient 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich—the first time any European club has taken points off Bayern this season.
Reflecting on the performance, Doekhi said the team’s aggression and intensity at home made Bayern uncomfortable:
“We were really aggressive… We won duels and created danger in attack. I think it worked really well.”
Union’s strong start suggests they should comfortably avoid relegation battles, though Doekhi warns against complacency:
“The Bundesliga is tough. A bad run can put you at the bottom. We need to stay sharp.”
Friday: Mainz v Hoffenheim (9:30pm)
Saturday: Heidenheim v Borussia Moenchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund v Stuttgart, Bayern Munich v Freiburg, Augsburg v Hamburg, Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (4:30pm), Cologne v Eintracht Frankfurt (7:30pm)
Sunday: RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (4:30pm), St Pauli v Union Berlin (6:30pm)
