The Cinderella story continues: VfB Stuttgart defeated Borussia Dortmund for the third time this season. Thanks to the 1-0 (0-0) win on Saturday (April 6th, 2024), the team, which had to secure relegation in the previous season, is on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League in the Bundesliga. BVB, on the other hand, lost fourth place to RB Leipzig.
FC Bayern Munich had previously opened a new door for VfB Stuttgart with its 2-3 defeat against 1. FC Heidenheim: With a win at Borussia Dortmund, coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s team was able to draw level with the record champions. Now not only was the Champions League within reach for the surprise team of the season, but even the runner-up was possible.
This time BVB was significantly stronger against Stuttgart
But unlike in the previous two games in the first leg of the Bundesliga (2:1) and the round of 16 in the DFB Cup (2:0), Stuttgart this time did not manage to impose their game on Dortmund and dominate the runner-up. Emre Can had the first chance of the game with a shot from 22 meters and forced Alexander Nübel to do his first strong act (13th minute).
VfB had a hard time combining thanks to the strong BVB defense, which had recently kept a clean sheet in Munich (2-0). But then he had a great opportunity to make it 1-0. After a cross from Maximilian Mittelstädt, Serhou Guirassy had a free header from five meters, but the striker was unable to control the ball and clearly missed the goal (25′).
BVB, in the person of Karim Adeyemi, was much closer to scoring – but then Nübel saved with his second save. After a long ball from Mats Hummels, Adeyemi, who scored 1-0 in Munich last week, stormed alone towards the VfB keeper. But he quickly extended his right foot and directed the shot past the post (31′). 0-0 at the break, and Stuttgart could thank Nübel for that.
Stuttgart’s Guirassy is spot on again
The initial phase of the second half even dominated Dortmund, with VfB having the first good chance. Jamie Lewewling finished unchallenged from a cross from Chris Führich from eight meters, but his volley clearly missed the BVB box (50′).
As an enforcer, Leweling lacked precision, but he excelled as a preparer. A sharp cross from the winger gave Stuttgart the lead. Guirassy received the ball from the right side and sank it from seven meters (64th). Gregor Kobel was still there, but couldn’t prevent the goal. And so with 60 points, VfB actually had as many as FC Bayern at that moment.
Schlotterbeck misses the BVB point
While for Stuttgart it was a goal that made you dream of even more, for Dortmund it was a big setback. Because of RB Leipzig’s 4-1 win at SC Freiburg in the afternoon, coach Edin Terzic’s team slipped to fifth place due to the 0-1 loss. At the end of the season this would mean missing out on the Champions League for the first time after eight consecutive appearances.
In the 80th minute, however, Nico Schlotterbeck should have shot his team back to the all-important fourth place. Nübel initially parried a header from Mats Hummels, but his central defender colleague chased the follow-up shot over the goal from three meters.
Stuttgart with a seven point lead
It was the last chance BVB had to equalize. Dortmund, which will face Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League on Wednesday (April 10, 2024), also lost the third game of the season against Stuttgart and will go into the next league game next Saturday (April 13, 2024, 3:30 p.m.) in fifth place at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
VfB will play the game again on Saturday evening, this time against Eintracht Frankfurt. With a lead of seven points over fourth and fifth places, Stuttgart, who have been unbeaten in ten league games, can hardly take the Champions League away from them in this form.