High-flying Borussia Dortmund visit MHPArena on Saturday to face VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, as their perfect start to the season will be put through the paces.
Since their Supercup defeat to Bayern last month, the BVB have prevailed in all five of their clashes across competitions, including three in the league to bag nine points from a possible nine.
It's their best start to a league campaign since 2015-16 season but occupy second position in the rankings to Freiburg by virtue of goal-difference.
However, the perfect start doesn't necessarily imply perfect performances. Dortmund have been found wanting in every top-flight match so far, struggling for control and looking shaky in defense too.
In their last game, Niko Kovac's side prevailed 3-0 against the promoted Paderborn, but needed a late double from substitute Felix Nmecha to consolidate their grip on the match.
They will be encouraged to see that Stuttgart are off to a much worse start, losing twice from their opening three games although Die Roten have enjoyed big wins at home.
Their only league game at the MHPArena this season resulted in a 4-1 win over FC Koln, while seeing off Norway's Viking 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League a few days later.
In fact, the Baden-Württemberg outfit are unbeaten in five home games now. The last team to beat them in their own backyard? Borussia Dortmund.
Stuttgart vs Dortmund Team News
The Reds are currently struggling with an injury crisis with eight players unavailable, including former Dortmund player Dan-Axel Zagadou. They will rely on star forward Deniz Undav, who scored a hat-trick at the Signal Iduna Park last season, to produce the goods upfront again.
As for the BVB, Konstantinos Karetsas is set for a return after missing last weekend's game from a circulation problem he suffered in their Villarreal win. But Emre Can and Filippo Mane remain out with ACL and muscle injuries.
Stuttgart vs Dortmund Predicted Lineup
Stuttgart's probable XI: Fabian Bredlow; Finn Jeltsch, Jeff Chabot, Maximilian Mittelstadt; Josha Vagnoman, Grischa Promel, Angelo Stiller, Chris Fuhrich; Deniz Undav, Bilal El Khannouss; Dzenan Pejcinovic.
Dortmund's probable XI: Gregor Kobel; Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck, Joane Gadou; Julian Ryerson, Jobe Bellingham, Felix Nmecha, Daniel Svensson; Ethan Nwaneri, Fabio Silva; Serhou Guirassy.
Stuttgart vs Dortmund Prediction
The MHPArena have become a fortress of sorts lately, while Stuttgart will be looking to capitalize on Dortmund's shortcomings in defense. The visitors may concede here but expect them to narrowly see off their hosts.
Prediction: Stuttgart 1-2 Dortmund
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