Kovac Demands Strong Improvement from Dortmund Ahead of Stuttgart Clash

Niko Kovac has demanded urgency and a clear improvement from Dortmund as they prepare to travel to the MHPArena for a clash with Stuttgart. Dortmund recovered from 0-2 down to beat Hamburg 3-2 in their last Bundesliga match. Ramy Bensebaini scored two penalties and Serhou Guirassy struck after coming on.

Team news and tactical outlook

Kovac urged his side to reproduce the second-half intensity from the Hamburg game across 90 minutes. He warned a full-match performance is needed to take points in Stuttgart. The game carries extra weight with Dortmund sitting nine points behind Bayern.

Dortmund will be without midfielder Felix Nmecha. He injured his knee against Hamburg and is likely out for the season. Kovac confirmed Julian Brandt and Carney Chukwuemeka are among the options to cover the loss. He said he will finalise the lineup on Saturday.

Players to watch

Deniz Undav

Undav has scored in six consecutive Bundesliga games. He can equal a club record held by Fredi Bobic and Sasa Kalajdzic. Only Stefan Kiessling and Timo Werner have scored in seven straight Bundesliga matches since 2000.

Undav has 18 goals this season. That matches his best return from 2023-24. He will be a key threat at the MHPArena.

Serhou Guirassy

Guirassy has been heavily involved in goals since 2023-24. Only Harry Kane has more direct goal contributions than him in that span. He faces his former club and is expected to be highly motivated.

Form, stats and context

Stuttgart sit third and trail Dortmund by eight points. They have 53 points after 27 matches, their second-best haul at this stage.

Under Sebastian Hoeneß, Stuttgart have not lost in seven competitive games against Dortmund. Their run reads five wins and two draws. Historically, Stuttgart lost 14 of their previous 17 meetings with Dortmund.

Dortmund have 61 points after 27 games. That is their best total in seven years. In the three-point era, only once has a second-placed team had more points after 27 games.

Stuttgart average 6.0 shots on target per game. Only Bayern are higher, with 8.7. Dortmund concede just 3.5 opponent shots on target per match, second-best after Bayern.

Recent runs

• Stuttgart have lost one of their last 14 Bundesliga matches (9 wins, 4 draws).
• Dortmund aim to maintain form across the remaining seven fixtures.

Match forecast

Bookmakers and OPTA give Stuttgart the narrow edge. Probability estimates favour a home win but a draw is plausible. The match is expected to be tight and competitive.

Filmogaz.com will monitor team news and provide updates before kickoff. Kovac’s demand for strong improvement could define the result. The duel between second and third promises high stakes.