Table topping Borussia Dortmund return to domestic action when they travel to bottom placed Stuttgart on Saturday afternoon. Stuttgart have only managed to pick up one win so far this season and, after their 3-1 defeat against Schalke two weeks ago, head coach Tayfun Korkut was relieved of his managerial duties. Markus Weinzierl is the man charged with turning Die Roten's fortunes around, starting on Saturday. Their opponents are unbeaten so far this season and are sitting pretty at the top of the table as a result. Their last match saw them prevail 4-3 in a thrilling encounter with Augsburg, thanks in large part to a hat trick from Barcelona loanee Paco Alcacer. With Bayern Munich floundering, Lucien Favre's side will be looking to tighten their grip on top spot. Here's everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's clash. ​When? ​Saturday 20 October @ 2:30pm BST ​Where? ​Mercedes-Benz Arena ​How Can I Watch Outside of the UK? ​Fox Sports 2, beIN Sports Connect, Bet365 Classic Encounter Borussia Dortmund 4-4 Stuttgart (Bundesliga, March 2012) Whenever a game involves eight goals, you can be safe in the knowledge that it was an absolute cracker, and that was certainly the case when these two sides squared off in 2012. The points ended up being shared, despite the fact that the lead changed hands on three separate occasions during the course of the 90 minutes. ​Dortmund took the lead after 33 minutes through Shinji Kagawa and they went on to double their tally early on in the second half through Jakub Blaszczykowski. However, Stuttgart gave themselves a foothold in the match with a goal from Vedad Ibisevic in the 72nd minute before a quick fire double from Julian Schieber put the visitors ahead. Mats Hummels found an equaliser for Dortmund and, with just three minutes left of normal time, Ivan Perisic looked to have found winner for his side. However, there was a final twist in the tail as Christian Gentner found the back of net in the second minute of added time to earn Stuttgart a well deserved point. Key Battle Benjamin Pavard vs. Paco Alcacer After impressing for France at this year's World Cup, many were expecting Benjamin Pavard to be moving on to bigger things in the summer, but he decided to stay put at Stuttgart. Those who are unfamiliar with the ​Bundesliga may be surprised to learn that he plays in a central defensive role for his club, rather than as a right-back - the position he occupies for Les Bleus. He is set to have a very busy afternoon on Saturday when he is tasked with handling Paco Alcacer, one of the most in-form strikers in European football. The Spaniard has notched seven goals in his last four matches and is surely set to start his first league game for Dortmund after smashing in a hat-trick against Augsburg in his last outing. Team News Stuttgart have a number of injury concerns, with Marc-Oliver Kempf, Jan Kliment, Dennis Aogo, Anastasios Donis and Daniel Didavi all set to miss out. Dortmund also have a few injuries to contend with Manuel Akanji, Marcel Schmelzer, Marius Wolf, Raphael Guerreiro and Jeremy Toljan all occupying the physio table. In other news, both Alcacer and Jadon Sancho are set to given a chance to start after impressing off of the bench so far this season. Predicted Stuttgart Lineup: Zieler; Beck, Baumgartl, Pavard, Insua; Castro, Ascacibar, Genter; Thommy, Gonzalez, Gomez. Predicted Borussia Dortmund Lineup: Burki; Piszczek, Diallo, Zagadou, Hakimi; Witsel, Delaney; Sancho, Larsen, Reus; Alcacer. Predictions On paper, this one looks like it should be a canter for Dortmund. However, the effect of a new manager cannot be underestimated and Stuttgart may be looking to prove a point under Weinzierl. A positive result on Saturday would go a long way in repairing their dreadful start to the season. Despite this, any team in Europe would not relish the prospect of coming up against Dortmund in their current form and, with the likes of Alcacer and Sancho in red hot form, keeping them out is going to take some doing. Stuttgart will put in a spirited performance for their new boss, but Dortmund should have too much in the final third for the hosts to contend with.<doc-sep>The international break is over and Borussia Dortmund are back in Bundesliga action this weekend as they travel to bottom of the table VFB Stuttgart. League leaders Borussia Dortmund will be aiming to make it five wins out of five in all competitions against a Stuttgart team with only one win so far this season. The home side sacked manager Tayfun Korkut following their defeat to Hannover two weeks ago, and replaced him with former Schalke boss Markus Weinzierl. Stuttgart will be without several key players including Daniel Didavi, Marc-Oliver Kempf and Dennis Aogo. Borussia Dortmund have a bit of an injury crisis themselves, with both Manuel Akanji and Marcel Schmelzer already ruled out for the game. Lukasz Piszczek and Raphael Guerreiro are also doubtful, while Omer Toprak is yet to reach match fitness. Marco Reus and Christian Pulisic are expected to be fit after withdrawing from international duty due to injuries. So let us take a look at how Borussia Dortmund will line up against VFB Stuttgart this weekend. Goalkeeper: Roman Burki Roman Burki had a bit of an injury scare himself as he was withdrawn from Switzerland’s squad due to a groin injury. But the Borussia Dortmund number one is set to take his place in goal once again and will be hoping to keep a clean sheet against a Stuttgart side that has scored only six goals so far this season.<doc-sep>Borussia Dortmund maintained their stunning start to the season by securing a breathtaking 4-0 win over a relegation-threatened VfB Stuttgart at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Saturday. The visitors wasted no time in asserting their dominance and the opening goal of the game came just two minutes into the match. Jabob Bruun Larsen and Marco Reus were heavily involved in a counter-attack before Jadon Sancho sent a deflected effort past Ron-Robert Zieler. Brits abroad, can't be ignored 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sr0pSlXOPx — Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) October 20, 2018 Borussia Dortmund doubled their lead just 20 minutes later with another devastating break. This time, Łukasz Piszczek found space down the right-hand side before firing the ball back towards the penalty spot where, following Paco Alcácer's dummy, Reus found the back of the net. Alcácer then pounced on an awful mistake from World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard moments later to get on the scoresheet himself, eventually sending an outrageous chip beyond Stuttgart's helpless goalkeeper. He shoots he scores ⚽🎯 @paco93alcacer has found the net with every single shot on target this season 😱 pic.twitter.com/DEdVKtLAwM — Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) October 20, 2018 The hosts came out in the second half with a fighting spirit but they just didn't have the quality to make anything countm with Borussia Dortmund scoring the last goal of the game through Maxi Philipp - his first of the season. Borussia Dortmund Key Talking Point On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund fans were treated to one of the best counter-attacking performances in recent memory, soaking up Stuttgart's pressure and then clinically taking their opponents to the cleaners. Borussia Dortmund are playing incredible football in attack. Bruun Larsen, Reus, Sancho and Alcacer is so deadly. They might just be the real deal.https://t.co/5AmclMPrOK — Alex Chaffer (@AlexChaffer) October 20, 2018 Now on to watching my other fav team @BVB !!! Love how direct , fast they are when they attack . — Rohith Ravikumar (@rohith23) October 20, 2018 The Black and Yellows had the game wrapped up inside 25 minutes. Manager Lucien Favre got his tactics spot on during the first half, and although Stuttgart came out of the block well after the break, Borussia Dortmund were never at risk of missing out on all three points. Player Ratings Bürki (8) Piszczek (8) Diallo (8) Zagadou (7) Hakimi (7) Witsel (8) Delaney (7) Sancho (8) Reus (9*) Bruun Larsen (8) Alcácer (8). Substitutes: Philipp (7) Pulisic (7) Götze (N/A). Star Man What more needs to be said about Marco Reus? For years, the Germany international has been flirting around the edges of being called a world class player, largely with Reus' persistent injury problems proving to be the only thing which has held him back. This season, however, Reus has played more first team minutes than any other player for Borussia Dortmund and his impact is showing on the pitch. ​​ Marco Reus now has scored on all 34 matchdays on the Bundesliga calendar. — Lars Pollmann (@LarsPollmann) October 20, 2018 ​​ Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer all started together for Dortmund for the first time against Stuttgart. All three found the net within 25 minutes. Firepower. pic.twitter.com/JmzxJKnmR9 — bet365 (@bet365) October 20, 2018 ​​ More than anything, it's just great to see Marco Reus play at his world class level again consistently. Lucien Favre has the magic touch. — Cristian Nyari (@Cnyari) October 20, 2018 Reus has now scored in every single Bundesliga game this season, racking up an outstanding goalscoring tally, as well as notching a few assists along the way. Worst Player There just isn't a single Borussia Dortmund player who deserves to be put into this section, but if we have to be incredibly cynical, let's focus our attention to defender Dan-Axel Zagadou. The young Frenchman didn't put a foot wrong at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, but his performance offered a clear indication as to why Zagadou is the club's fourth choice centre back. VfB Stuttgart Player Ratings Zieler (5) Maffeo (6) Pavard (4) Baumgartl (6) Insua (5) Ascacibar (6) Castro (5) Gentner (4) González (5) Gómez (4) Thommy (5). Substitutes: Badstuber (5) Akolo (6) Beck (5). Looking Ahead Borussia Dortmund will now prepare for their Champions League match against Atlético Madrid before returning to Bundesliga actions against Hertha BSC, while VfB Stuttgart make the short trip to TSG Hoffenheim next weekend.<doc-sep>Borussia Dortmund held their position as league-leaders after a dominant display against relegation-side VfB Stuttgart away from home. Borussia Dortmund went into this game with a lot of confidence having beaten Augsburg in a thrilling comeback win that went down to the last kick of the game. Considering the fact that BVB was facing a team that is stuck in the bottom half of the table and is struggling to convert good games into wins, must have been a massive confidence boost. Yes, Stuttgart is a big team and is performing below its abilities but that is secondary when one considers the form they’re in. Dortmund took control of the game quickly and then it was all about controlling the ball and not letting them have any chances. Within 45 minutes, BVB had taken a huge lead and it was always going to be an uphill battle for the opposition. With that said, here are three takeaways from that superb performance:<doc-sep>
DORTMUND, GERMANY - OCTOBER 06: Mario Goetze of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after scoring his team`s third goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Augsburg at Signal Iduna Park on October 6, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) Borussia Dortmund visit relegation side VfB Stuttgart after the international break on the back of a thrilling win against Augsburg. Borussia Dortmund may have won their last game before the international break but it was not an easy win by any means. Augsburg pushed the league-leaders to their limit and if it wasn’t for a perfect last-touch-of-the-game freekick from Paco Alcacer, BVB would have wound up with a 6-goal draw at home. Stuttgart, on the other hand, desperately need a win to bounce back and avoid the bottom half of the table. Recent Form VfB Stuttgart DDLWL Stuttgart has been unlucky this season as there have been many times when the team has managed to control the game but lacked the edge to finish things off. In their last game against Hannover, Despite having more possession and almost 50% shot accuracy, they failed to score past Esser. They have some big names in their starting line-up like Mario Gomez, Didavi, Benjamin Pavard, Badstuber amongst others but lack bench strength which has affected them. Borussia Dortmund DWWWW Dortmund’s last game exposed some massive defensive weaknesses and if that game was anything to go by, then there is still a lot of work to be done by Lucien Favre. BVB’s attack, in comparison, is currently playing other-worldly football. Paco Alcacer has to be the hottest striker on the planet and his purple patch has completely destroyed the opposition every time he has laced up his boots this season. If BVB can even marginally improve on their defensive issues, then BVB’s attack is more than capable of turning matches around. Last Match: Borussia Dortmund 3 – 1 VfB Stuttgart Borussia Dortmund dominated VfB Stuttgart in an impressive 3-0 win at home in April and has a positive record against the side, having lost only once in the last15 games. This is a remarkable feat and one can expect that the trend will continue. What can we expect for this match? Stuttgart has been lacking attacking sharpness and therein lies the problem. If the opposition strikers can find the back of the net, this will be an interesting game. However, if BVB score first, then this will be a no-contest with BVB absolutely dominating them. Possible Lineups FC Augsburg (5-2-1-2): Zieler – Beck, Pavard, Baumgartl, Badstuber, Sosa – Gentner, Ascacibar – Gonzalez – Gomez, Didavi Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Burki – Hakimi, Toprak, Zagadou, Diallo – Dahoud, Witsel – Sancho, Reus, Alcacer, Larsen Final prediction: Vfb Stuttgart 1 – 3 Borussia Dortmund