VfB Stuttgart – Borussia Dortmund: Swabian Struggles Persist (0-1)

The Bundesliga’s battle for best of the rest has involved both these teams in the last few years. But a sleepy Saturday showdown signalled one side might struggle to sustain that standard.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Now fourteen years without a Bundesliga crown to their name, Borussia Dortmund embark on the perennial task of challenging the re-established Bavarian hegemony. They were defeated 2-1 by Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, but the Schwarzgelben sat two points clear of the reigning champions at the start of the matchday. To stay that far clear, they needed to break out from a hoodoo against an outfit whom they had only beaten one across their previous eight encounters.

VfB Stuttgart have been one of the best sides in Germany since the appointment of head coach Sebastien Hoeneß in May 2023. The team have finished runners-up in the division in 2024, reached two DFB Pokal finals (winning one in 2025) and ended last season in fourth place in the table. They have won three of their five games in all competitions this campaign— but both defeats were in the Bundesliga, including a 5-1 hammering on the opening matchday against Die Rekordmeister.

Hoene . . .