On paper, both Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart are in the title race, although reigning champions Bayern Munich are seven points clear before this round. The stakes are huge, despite the early stage of the season.
Borussia Dortmund entered the international break on a low, losing 4-1 to Man City and drawing away at Hamburger in their last two matches. But this is a much better domestic start than BVB have had in four years and their home form cannot be neglected.
Dortmund remain undefeated at home in all competitions and their last competitive defeat at Signal Iduna Park goes back to early March.
Across the field, Stuttgart won their last couple of games before the break and will enter this contest with confidence after beating Dortmund at this venue last term. However, while the Swabians have been flawless at home, their overall away performance leaves much to be desired.
Stuttgart only won two of their five Bundesliga fixtures away from home and boast a negative goal difference. They have been alternating wins and defeats on the road, and have not yet found success in back-to-back matches in all competitions.
How the bookies view it: Dortmund to stay undefeated at home
Bookmakers back Borussia to win on Saturday but also realise that Stuttgart shouldn’t be underestimated. You can currently back Dortmund at 4/5, the draw at 3/1, and Stuttgart at 16/5.
Recent head-to-head: Stuttgart made it five in a row
You will not find a more evenly-matched rivalry in German football, as the two teams have the same number of H2H wins – 48 each, while another 25 fixtures ended level. Both teams have had their dominant periods throughout the years and right now, Stuttgart have the short-term lead.
Borussia Dortmund last beat Stuttgart in 2022, while the Swabians won the last five H2Hs. Last season, they won 2-1 away and 5-1 at home.
Players to watch: Guirassy to shine against his former club
Remember when Serhou Guirassy played for Stuttgart? He now officially has more goals for Dortmund than he has for his former club. Unfortunately, he is having a slow start to the season
with just five goals in nine Bundesliga games, but there is no better time to show up than now, against his former side.
Probable line-ups
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Schlotterbeck, Anton, Bensebaini, Svensson, Bellingham, Sabitzer, Ryerson, Chukwuemeka, Guirassy, Beier
Stuttgart: Nubel, Mittelstadt, Zagadou, Jeltsch, Assignon, Andres, Stiller, Leweling, Khannouss, Tomas, Undav
Anything else catch the eye?
This is the type of match that is suitable for all standard goal-related markets, as we have two very capable teams with the same goal in mind. Seven of the last 10 H2Hs featured at least three goals, while six saw both teams score.
Other than that, you will not find a more suitable match for corner bets, as we have two of the teams with the highest averages in the Bundesliga. Dortmund’s games average 10.5 corners per match, while Stuttgart’s average 11.1.
Borussia have taken the highest number of corners in home games this season – 9.25 on average per game, while the overall average is 13.75. Stuttgart have the highest average corners per away match this season with 6.60, while their total average is 12.2 per match.
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