Dortmund vs. Stuttgart preview: Can BVB get back on track?
Stuttgart travel to the Signal Iduna Park to play a confused Dortmund side, who are struggling with injury issues and a lack of offensive efficiency in league play.
| Mats Hummels. | Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund haven't claimed three points in their last three Bundesliga contests and are coming off an unconvincing midweek win against Hannover.
8th-place BVB have especially lacked efficiency in front of goal and are averaging just 1.3 goals per league game. After trying to match Union Berlin's well-organized back three with a similar formation, Edin Terzic is likely to return to his usual back four this weekend.
Injury issues are plaguing the side once again, as Niklas Süle will likely play at right-back with Thomas Meunier out and Marius Wolf questionable. Captain Marco Reus is reportedly unavailable after suffering an injury setback.
Terzic commented that, "We have the second most shots on goal in the league, but have only scored 13 goals in the process. We have to improve in terms of effectiveness. - We are aware that we need the home win. In the Bundesliga, we are not satisfied with the table. If we perform well, we are sure that things will go up again.”
Team News
BVB's lengthy injury list includes Meunier, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Sebastien Haller, Mahmoud Dahoud and Mateu Morey. Reus is unlikely to feature, while Wolf and Anthony Modeste are questionable.
VfB Stuttgart
Under interim trainer Michael Wimmer, Stuttgart have won two games in a row and scored ten goals in that period. They're up to 14th in the table, but still have a long climb ahead to escape a looming relegation battle.
Serhou Guirassy and Atakan Karazor are returning from suspension to help the offense, while Silas has particularly impressed with three goals in their last two matches.
Rumors are starting to mount that Wimmer could stay in charge of Stuttgart through 2022 with a win against BVB on Saturday. However, Jess Thorup and Alfred Schreuder remain their top two candidates for the position.
Wimmer said that, “The match at Dortmund is a special one for all of us. We’re playing against a top team in front of over 80,000 fans. We’re looking forward to it. - Nevertheless, we want to show bravery and take the euphoria of the last two games with us."
Team News
Pascal Stenzel and Josha Vagnoman will miss out, while former Dortmund center-back Dan-Axel Zagadou's status is up in the air.