Preview - Borussia Dortmund vs Stuttgart 8 April 2018

[Harry85]

Match Day 29
Borussia Dortmund vs Stuttgart
Sunday, April 8th, 2018
22:30 pm (GMT+8 Timing)
Stadium: Westfalenstadion

Borussia Dortmund: 
Last five matches form: L W D W L
Average goals per match: 1.93
Average goals against per match: 1.34
Top Scorer: Maximilian Philipp and Michy Batshuayi (6)

Stuttgart:
Last five matches form: W W D W D
Average goals per match: 0.93
Average goals against per match: 1.11
Top Scorer: Mario Gomez (6)

Third placed Borussia Dortmund play host to Stuttgart this weekend as they bid to get back on track following their annihilation at the hands of Bayern Munich last weekend. Still sitting in third, Borussia have their Champions League destiny in their own hands but will be keen to erase the memory of that horror show at the earliest opportunity.

Perhaps the main improvement at Stuttgart since the appointment of Tayfun Korkut at the end of January has been in the sides away form. Simply abysmal on the road prior to his arrival - losing nine of ten in the Bundesliga - they have won three of four since, with a draw at Wolfsburg the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record. Having also won two and drawn two of his four home games in charge, Korkut is yet to taste defeat as Stuttgart boss.

The injuries are beginning to mount up for Borussia now with the most significant absentee once again being left sided attacker Andriy Yarmolenko.

Stuttgart are just about at full strength although there is a slight doubt surrounding the participation of Timo Baumgartl at the back.

Dortmund remain hit or miss at present, looking extremely impressive one minute and vulnerable the next. Korkut has worked miracles so far at Stuttgart and we fancy he may inspire his side to another valuable point on the road here.

Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 1 - 1 Stuttgart

[Harry85]

Half time: 1 - 0
Full time: 3 - 0
Shots: 15 - 8
Shots on target: 3 - 8
Corner Kicks: 7 - 0
Possession: 50% - 50%

Stuttgart troubled Patrick Ittrich's notebook more than they did Roman Berki in the Dortmund goal with Andreas Beck, Dennis Aogo, Mario Gomez and Santiago Acacibar all seeing yellow. Marcel Schmelzer was booked for Dortmund.

A thoroughly dominant display by the home side here. Other than a late Mario Gomez effort onto the woodwork, Stuttgart failed to register a shot on target in the game.

There was certainly an element of fortune about the home sides opener though. Christian Pulisic breaking down the right before hitting a misdirected cross into the area. It all worked out well for Pulisic though as his cross looped all the way over everyone, including the keeper, and into the far top corner. 1-0 at half-time.

The second came in the 48th minute and was somewhat more conventional. Nuri Sahin breaking down the left before producing a low ball into the area. Michy Batshuayi arriving to side foot home.

In the 59th minute it was 3-0. Maximillian Philipp's volley from around twelve yards being well saved by Ron-Robert Zieler. The keeper could only parry the ball back into play though and when it dropped to Philipp once again, he made no mistake second time around. It may have been scuffed and slightly deflected but his effort still found the bottom corner.

Borussia Dortmund bounced back to form here following last weekends debacle at Bayern Munich, getting their season back on track at the first time of asking and handing a first league to defeat to Tayfun Korkut in the process.

Dortmund stay third but are now just one point off Schalke in second. Stuttgart drop to ninth after the latest round of fixtures.