The China Mail - Dortmund out to end big-game woes against ascendant Stuttgart

Nine points behind title-bound Bayern Munich, second-placed Dortmund have 61 points after 27 games.

Only four times have Dortmund had more points at this stage of a season, two of which were title-winning campaigns.

And while Dortmund have lost just twice in the Bundesliga all season -- both times to Bayern -- the 2024 Champions League finalists have struggled against the better sides.

Against the top eight teams in the Bundesliga table -- the only sides with a realistic shot at European qualification -- Dortmund have just two wins in nine matches.

The victories came against Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen, the latter of whom knocked Dortmund out of the German Cup just three days later.

A win at Stuttgart on Saturday would help turn the tide.

Stuttgart are third, eight points behind Dortmund, and look on track for a second top-four finish in three seasons.

The German Cup holders have had the wood over Dortmund since Sebastian Hoeness took over in April 2023, winning five and drawing two of their seven clashes.

"I feel we'll do better against Stuttgart than we've done in the past few games," Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said Thursday. "But this club (Stuttgart) has developed sensationally.

"They're a serious team who have grown well together in recent years and that's no coincidence.

"That means we'll really need to stretch ourselves in the game on Saturday."

Bayern travel to Freiburg on Saturday but may do so without Harry Kane, who missed England's friendly loss to Japan at Wembley with an ankle injury coach Thomas Tuchel described as "minor".

Kane has a history of ankle complaints and the league leaders look set to rest the England captain with Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid on the horizon.

One to watch: Deniz Undav (Stuttgart)

Dortmund will need to keep red-hot Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav quiet.

Undav scored the winner in Germany's 2-1 victory over Ghana on Monday, continuing his excellent form.

In 38 games in all competitions, the former Brighton forward has 23 goals and 13 assists.

Speaking Thursday -- hours after Undav was named player of the month for March -- Hoeness praised the striker's central role in Stuttgart's rise.

"We've moved in the right direction in many areas. And we can't forget that with Deniz, we've got a player who makes the difference.

"You need someone who can finish the job. We don't just have Deniz, we have others. But Deniz has to be mentioned first and foremost; his statistics are phenomenal."

Key stats

0 - Bayern are yet to lose away from home this season.

5 - Since their first top-flight promotion in 1997, second-last Wolfsburg have never been relegated from the Bundesliga. The 2009 German champions are five points from safety.

18 - None of Deniz Undav's 18 league goals have come from the penalty spot. By comparison, 10 of Harry Kane's 31 league goals were spot-kicks.

Fixtures (1330 GMT unless stated)

Saturday

Freiburg v Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim v Mainz, Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig, Hamburg v Augsburg, Borussia Moenchengladbach v Heidenheim, Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg, Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund (1630)

Sunday

Union Berlin v St Pauli, Eintracht Frankfurt v Cologne (1530)

H.Au--ThChM