DFB-Pokal: Will Stuttgart Beat BVB When it Counts?

VfB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund

VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund are two of the favourites (besides Bayer Leverkusen) to win this season’s DFB Pokal after the early exits of defending titlists RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, and they are set to clash in the Round of 16 on Wednesday evening.

Die Schwaben got this far by blowing out Balingen in the first round and eking out a narrow win over Union Berlin in the following round. And it is a similar story for the Yellow Wall, who routed Schott Mainz in the first round before notching a close win over Hoffenheim in the second round.

This match is certainly the pick of the litter since these two sides are well-drilled, and SBOTOP football fans can expect several DFB Pokal 2023 highlights to come out of this midweek contest.

Talking Points

Guirassy has found his new strike partner

While Serhou Guirassy gets most of the credit for VfB Stuttgart’s surprising 2023-24 campaign so far, let’s not forget his strike partner, Deniz Undav, who has been in-form as well.

Undav arrived at Die Schwaben this summer on loan from Brighton, but he didn’t start until the ninth matchday because he was dealing with a knee injury.

Since being integrated into Sebastian Hoeneß’s rotation, Undav hasn’t looked back, as he is now the team’s second-leading scorer with eight goals.

Undav’s best performance thus far was when he recorded a brace against Eintracht Frankfurt last week. He scored his first goal in just one minute, and after Die Adler drew level because of Waidemar Anton’s own goal, Undav scored the marginal goal before halftime.

During their three-game winning streak, Hoeneß has implemented a 4-2-2-2 formation to pair Guirassy and Undav up front, and it has worked wonders.

Having two industrious strikers up front meant that they had an additional man (or so it looks). And when they have the ball, Undav would be the man to link up play whenever Guirassy is being tightly marked by the defence, which opens more space and opportunities to score.

The space opened up by Undav and Guirassy gives more freedom to the likes of Chris Fuhrich and Enzo Millot to operate. As a result, these two midfielders now have five goals and seven assists combined so far.

Malen will be key for Borussia Dortmund

Donyell Malen is said to be on his way out of Borussia Dortmund in the upcoming winter transfer window, so he will look to make his last few matches count, if recent reports are to be believed.

Malen has been in and out of BVB’s rotation in the past few games because of the emergence of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, although the 24-year-old forward has posted four goals so far this term.

Arsenal, Liverpool, and Real Madrid are some of his well-known suitors, and Borussia Dortmund are reportedly going to listen to offers with a minimum transfer fee of around £60 million.

Other than Malen, who might start on Wednesday if Edin Terzic rotates his squad, VfB Stuttgart will also have to look out for Julian Brandt and Niclas Fullkrug, their best scorers with five goals apiece this term.

History

Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart have several DFB Pokal titles to boast, with the former winning it five times and the latter winning it three times. BVB last won it in 2021, while Die Schwaben last won it in 1997.

VfB Stuttgart have won two and lost three of their previous cup meetings with Borussia Dortmund. Prior to Wednesday, they last met in the 2016 quarter-finals, where BVB won with a score of 3-1.

In the previous six years, BVB has lost four times in the Round of 16, most recently to Bundesliga 2 side St. Pauli.

These two sides last faced off in the Bundesliga on November 11, where VfB Stuttgart came away with a 2-1 home win, as Deniz Undav and Serhou Guirassy had one goal each to nullify Niclas Fullkrug’s goal in the 36^th minute.

Betting Tip

This contest between VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund could go either way, and the DFB Pokal 2023 odds agree. The hosts are at 2.18 odds, while the visitors are priced at 2.70 to win, and a draw is at 3.45 in the 1×2 market.

Given that their recent meetings have been high-scoring affairs, we’re inclined to think that this will be the case again on Wednesday, hence our recommended bet above, while Total Goal 4-6 at 2.39 is another option to consider.

On the other hand, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of VfB Stuttgart – a replay of their previous matchup – is on offer at 8.00.

 

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