The last international matches of the year are over: the DFB team with Nico Schlotterbeck, Felix Nmecha, Waldemar Anton and Karim Adeyemi as well as Gregor Kobel (Switzerland), Marcel Sabitzer (Austria) and Julian Ryerson (Norway) have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while Daniel Svensson (Sweden) and Salih Özcan (Turkey) will play in the play-offs. Before the international break, BVB had to play four away games in a row. The black and yellow won in Frankfurt and Augsburg, but lost in Manchester. The match against Hamburg SV ended in a draw. Meanwhile, Stuttgart have had recent successes in the UEFA Europa League against Feyenoord Rotterdam and FC Augsburg.
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“All our national players returned in good shape and were very successful. The players who were here trained well,” said BVB coach Niko Kovac. Due to toe problems, Niklas Süle has not yet returned to training. “Ramy still has problems with his back, so he hasn’t returned yet.”
Emre Can has already returned to the playing fields in Manchester and Hamburg. “After the game against Hamburg I had some aches and pains that I could still feel two days later,” the captain explained in an interview. “To be honest, the break came at the right time, because I’m still not in a position to be able to play every three days.” Nico Schlotterbeck was injured in Hamburg, but recovered on the field and was still able to play for the national team.
The opposition
VfB Stuttgart is in fourth place in the standings and will arrive in Dortmund as BVB’s main rival. The two teams have added 21 points between them in the first ten rounds. The black and yellow are third thanks to their goal difference (+9), better than Stuttgart (+5). VfB have already won seven games, more than they have won so far at this point in the Bundesliga. “What he achieved in Stuttgart is crazy,” Kovac said of his counterpart Sebastian Hoeneß. “Getting the team out of the relegation zone and establishing it in the league, winning the Cup, playing in the Champions League… I think he is the model of the German football coach at the moment.”
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In all competitions, BVB have not beaten Stuttgart in the last six official matches: their last victory against Stuttgart (5-0) was in the Bundesliga in October 2022. “We know that they are a good team that in the past played well against us at home. But I think we now have enough quality and team spirit to get a good result,” said Felix Nmecha.
Finally home again
The BVB first team will finally play in front of its home crowd again in six of the eight games remaining this year. “We need and want to win home games, so we know what we have to do on the weekend,” Kovac said. “They are important games because we want to consolidate ourselves at the top of the league. We want to spend the winter at the top, progress in the Cup and score points in the Champions League.” Looking ahead to the upcoming home games, Kovac also highlighted: “We have to worry less about traveling and we can make better use of that time at home.”
The Black&Yellows have been unbeaten in their last ten home games in all seasons and competitions. During this period, they achieved nine victories and one draw (1-1 against Leipzig). Kovac said: “The stadium here in Dortmund with our brilliant fans is really an important factor. That is important for us, but of course it is also important for our opponents.” Now, with the support of the BVB fans, everything is ready for the next victory at the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK against VfB Stuttgart.
Cristina Reinke