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.