Borussia Dortmund’s 2025-26 Bundesliga marketing campaign is statistically amongst their finest, however their hopes of main honours this season have been derailed by a poor file towards high sides.
9 factors behind title-bound Bayern Munich, second-placed Dortmund have 61 factors after 27 video games. Solely 4 instances have Dortmund had extra factors at this stage of a season, two of which have been title-winning campaigns.
And whereas Dortmund have misplaced simply twice within the Bundesliga all season — each instances to Bayern — the 2024 Champions League finalists have struggled towards the higher sides.
Towards the highest eight groups within the Bundesliga desk — the one sides with a sensible shot at European qualification — Dortmund have simply two wins in 9 matches.
The victories got here towards Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen, the latter of whom knocked Dortmund out of the German Cup simply three days later.
A win at Stuttgart on Saturday would assist flip the tide.
Stuttgart are third, eight factors behind Dortmund, and look on observe for a second top-four end in three seasons.
The German Cup holders have had the wooden over Dortmund since Sebastian Hoeness took over in April 2023, profitable 5 and drawing two of their seven clashes.
“I really feel we’ll do higher towards Stuttgart than we have finished prior to now few video games,” Dortmund coach Niko Kovac stated Thursday. “However this membership (Stuttgart) has developed sensationally.
“They seem to be a critical crew who’ve grown nicely collectively lately and that is no coincidence.
“Meaning we’ll actually need to stretch ourselves within the recreation on Saturday.”
Bayern journey to Freiburg on Saturday however could achieve this with out Harry Kane, who missed England’s pleasant loss to Japan at Wembley with an ankle damage coach Thomas Tuchel described as “minor”.
Kane has a historical past of ankle complaints and the league leaders look set to relaxation the England captain with Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Actual Madrid on the horizon.
One to observe: Deniz Undav (Stuttgart)
Dortmund might want to maintain red-hot Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav quiet.
Undav scored the winner in Germany’s 2-1 victory over Ghana on Monday, persevering with his wonderful type.
In 38 video games in all competitions, the previous Brighton ahead has 23 targets and 13 assists.
Talking Thursday — hours after Undav was named participant of the month for March — Hoeness praised the striker’s central position in Stuttgart’s rise.
“We have moved in the correct path in lots of areas. And we won’t neglect that with Deniz, we have a participant who makes the distinction.
“You want somebody who can end the job. We do not simply have Deniz, we now have others. However Deniz needs to be talked about at the start; his statistics are phenomenal.”
Key stats
0 – Bayern are but to lose away from residence this season.
5 – Since their first top-flight promotion in 1997, second-last Wolfsburg have by no means been relegated from the Bundesliga. The 2009 German champions are 5 factors from security.
18 – None of Deniz Undav’s 18 league targets have come from the penalty spot. By comparability, 10 of Harry Kane’s 31 league targets have been spot-kicks.
Fixtures (1330 GMT until said)
Saturday
Freiburg v Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim v Mainz, Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig, Hamburg v Augsburg, Borussia Moenchengladbach v Heidenheim, Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg, Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund (1630)
Sunday
Union Berlin v St Pauli, Eintracht Frankfurt v Cologne (1530)
Revealed – April 04, 2026 02:33 am IST
