As we enter the final stretch of the season, Borussia Dortmund don’t have much to play for other than the moral victory of a second place finish. This weekend, Dortmund will have a strong chance to put that second place on lock with a win against VfB Stuttgart, their challengers in third.
Unfortunately, doing so will require Dortmund’s first win away at the Mercedes-Benz Arena since April of 2022. The stadium has been a very difficult environment for Borussia Dortmund, especially Stuttgart alumni
Waldemar Anton and Serhou Guirassy. This is probably the toughest remaining match of the season for Dortmund, so it will be a big test of character for Niko Kovac and some of the younger players.
Player to Watch: Deniz Undav
After a disappointing season in 2024-25, Undav has officially beaten the Bundesliga “one-season wonder” allegations. Currently second in the Bundesliga in goals, only behind Harry Kane, Undav has been a bone fide star and by far Stuttgart’s best player. He’s in red-hot form, too. He has scored in each of his last six games, a streak that has earned him the title of Bundesliga Player of the Month for March.
All the evidence you need is Undav’s performance against BVB in the reverse fixture, when his hat-trick, capped by a goal in stoppage time, spoiled the party that came from Karim Adeyemi’s 90th minute would-be winner.
Predicted Lineup
According to Ruhr Nachrichten, BVB midfielder Samuele Inacio will make the squad against Stuttgart due to injuries to Felix Nmecha and Emre Can, although I doubt he will make the starting XI. I expect that Guirassy will return to the Starting XI after starting on the bench against Hamburg, and Bellingham and Sabitzer to feature in midfield.
Score Prediction
What’s your prediction for how the match will go? I’m not super confident, simply because of the away environment and all the injuries. I think we’d be lucky to pull out a 2-2 draw.
