Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund Preview: How to Watch, Key Battle, Team News, Predictions & More

Table topping Borussia Dortmund return to domestic action when they travel to bottom placed Stuttgart on Saturday afternoon.

Stuttgart have only managed to pick up one win so far this season and, after their 3-1 defeat against Schalke two weeks ago, head coach Tayfun Korkut was relieved of his managerial duties. Markus Weinzierl is the man charged with turning Die Roten's fortunes around, starting on Saturday.

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Their opponents are unbeaten so far this season and are sitting pretty at the top of the table as a result. Their last match saw them prevail 4-3 in a thrilling encounter with Augsburg, thanks in large part to a hat trick from Barcelona loanee Paco Alcacer. With Bayern Munich floundering, Lucien Favre's side will be looking to tighten their grip on top spot.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's clash.

When?	Saturday 20 October @ 2:30pm BST
Where?	Mercedes-Benz Arena
How Can I Watch Outside of the UK?	Fox Sports 2, beIN Sports Connect, Bet365

Classic Encounter

Borussia Dortmund 4-4 Stuttgart (Bundesliga, March 2012)

Whenever a game involves eight goals, you can be safe in the knowledge that it was an absolute cracker, and that was certainly the case when these two sides squared off in 2012.

The points ended up being shared, despite the fact that the lead changed hands on three separate occasions during the course of the 90 minutes.

Dortmund took the lead after 33 minutes through Shinji Kagawa and they went on to double their tally early on in the second half through Jakub Blaszczykowski. However, Stuttgart gave themselves a foothold in the match with a goal from Vedad Ibisevic in the 72nd minute before a quick fire double from Julian Schieber put the visitors ahead.

Mats Hummels found an equaliser for Dortmund and, with just three minutes left of normal time, Ivan Perisic looked to have found winner for his side. However, there was a final twist in the tail as Christian Gentner found the back of net in the second minute of added time to earn Stuttgart a well deserved point.

Key Battle

Benjamin Pavard vs. Paco Alcacer

After impressing for France at this year's World Cup, many were expecting Benjamin Pavard to be moving on to bigger things in the summer, but he decided to stay put at Stuttgart.

Those who are unfamiliar with the Bundesliga may be surprised to learn that he plays in a central defensive role for his club, rather than as a right-back - the position he occupies for Les Bleus. 

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He is set to have a very busy afternoon on Saturday when he is tasked with handling Paco Alcacer, one of the most in-form strikers in European football.

The Spaniard has notched seven goals in his last four matches and is surely set to start his first league game for Dortmund after smashing in a hat-trick against Augsburg in his last outing.

Team News

Stuttgart have a number of injury concerns, with Marc-Oliver Kempf, Jan Kliment, Dennis Aogo, Anastasios Donis and Daniel Didavi all set to miss out.

Dortmund also have a few injuries to contend with Manuel Akanji, Marcel Schmelzer, Marius Wolf, Raphael Guerreiro and Jeremy Toljan all occupying the physio table.

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In other news, both Alcacer and Jadon Sancho are set to given a chance to start after impressing off of the bench so far this season.

Predicted Stuttgart Lineup: Zieler; Beck, Baumgartl, Pavard, Insua; Castro, Ascacibar, Genter; Thommy, Gonzalez, Gomez.

Predicted Borussia Dortmund Lineup: Burki; Piszczek, Diallo, Zagadou, Hakimi; Witsel, Delaney; Sancho, Larsen, Reus; Alcacer.

Predictions

On paper, this one looks like it should be a canter for Dortmund.

However, the effect of a new manager cannot be underestimated and Stuttgart may be looking to prove a point under Weinzierl. A positive result on Saturday would go a long way in repairing their dreadful start to the season.

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Despite this, any team in Europe would not relish the prospect of coming up against Dortmund in their current form and, with the likes of Alcacer and Sancho in red hot form, keeping them out is going to take some doing.

Stuttgart will put in a spirited performance for their new boss, but Dortmund should have too much in the final third for the hosts to contend with.

Predicted Scoreline: Stuttgart 1-3 Borussia Dortmund