"We're taking this with us": BVB Leads Table for First Time Since May 2023 - Bayern in Pursuit!

Borussia Dortmund has capped off a dream start, fighting their way back to the top of the German Bundesliga table after 1212 days.

Officials from Borussia Dortmund celebrated their team's success with visible joy. The club's supporters shared in the euphoria, as BVB enters the long international break on a powerful note.

For the first time in 1212 days, and following four wins in their opening four league matches, coach Niko Kovac's team finds itself at the summit. A 1-0 victory in a challenging away game against Champions League participant VfB Stuttgart cemented an already impressive start to the season.

"That sounds very good. We're taking this with us," said matchwinner Maximilian Beier, who scored the game's only goal in the 70th minute. Beier's goal released BVB from a position where they had last been in first place on the 33rd matchday of the 2022/23 season.

As is well known, FC Bayern went on to win the championship that season. The Munich club now sits ten points behind BVB as their primary challenger. This marks only the fourth time in their Bundesliga history that Dortmund has won their first four season games.

What did Deniz Undav say about VfB's latest defeat?

Stuttgart continues to struggle for momentum. VfB has taken only three points from their first four matches, falling short of expectations. "We can't be so careless," Deniz Undav told Sky. "The most important thing, and what Dortmund is doing currently, is keeping a clean sheet. If you keep a clean sheet, you can also win. Our ambitions were certainly higher."

Following a strong start to the season, BVB traveled to Stuttgart "with broad chests," as Kovac emphasized. The team also received welcome news regarding player availability: Konstantinos Karetsas returned to the squad after his collapse approximately ten days prior, initially taking a spot on the bench.

Nico Schlotterbeck, Felix Nmecha, and Waldemar Anton were included in the starting lineup, representing all BVB players from national coach Jürgen Klopp's extensive squad. The situation was similar for VfB, with Finn Jeltsch, Chris Führich, Maximilian Mittelstädt, and Josha Vagnoman, all called up by Klopp, also starting. This included players not selected by the national team, Deniz Undav and Angelo Stiller.

Stuttgart had the first chances

"We want to put the boys back in the spotlight," VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß had previously stated. However, they were not presented with many opportunities to do so. Instead, the 60,000 spectators in the Stuttgart Arena witnessed a disjointed opening period. The pattern was consistent: BVB attempted high pressing, Stuttgart broke free but failed to exploit the spaces behind.

It wasn't until after the half-hour mark that either goalkeeper was seriously tested. BVB's keeper Gregor Kobel (31') saved with his foot against Undav following an error by Joane Gadou. Shortly after (34'), Bilal El Khannouss headed a ball from close range just wide of the post. This was by far the best chance before the break.

The early minutes of the second half did not alter this picture. Kovac made a change around the hour mark, bringing Karetsas and Jobe Bellingham into the game. The Englishman soon assisted Beier in the center, who had only to tap the ball in. Karetsas (73') later missed a significant opportunity to extend the lead to 2-0.