Borussia Dortmund vs Stuttgart

Signal Iduna Park forms the backdrop for a top-four Bundesliga six-pointer between Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart.

Goals on either side of halftime inspired Borussia Dortmund to a long-awaited 2-0 win in last weekend’s Der Klassiker against arch-rivals Bayern Munich, helping them whittle down the gap on third-placed Stuttgart to only four points ahead of the kick-off. Back to Signal Iduna Park, where they’ve won four of their five competitive games in 2024 (L1), Edin Terzic’s men must be confident about avenging a 2-1 defeat in November’s reverse fixture and a subsequent 2-0 loss in the DFB-Pokal last-16. Indeed, Die Borussen have been nothing short of formidable in recent home H2H encounters against Stuttgart, winning five of their last six (L1) while netting 3+ goals in four. But with one eye on the upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid, a potential slip-up could be on the cards.

On the other hand, Stuttgart spurned a two-goal cushion in last weekend’s home clash against Heidenheim and had to thank Deniz Undav’s last-gasp equalizer for rescuing a 3-3 draw against the mid-table minnows. It was a minor blip, which ended the visitors’ three-game winning streak in the Bundesliga, albeit marked their seventh consecutive unbeaten league match (W5, D2). On top of that, Sebastian Hoeness’ men have been raining down goals for fun, netting precisely three per game four times in those seven fixtures. Speaking of Stuttgart’s scoring prowess, leaving their home comforts has not affected their lethal instincts, as they’ve scored 2+ goals on their last five competitive road trips (W4, L1). But Signal Iduna Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Stuttgart, as witnessed by an abysmal run of just one victory from their last 14 Bundesliga visits to this venue (D5, L8).