Stuttgart dealt a significant blow to Borussia Dortmund’s fading hopes of European qualification, handing Der BVB their fifth consecutive defeat in this fixture for the first time in Bundesliga history with a 2-1 victory at Signal Iduna Park.
The opening moments of Niko Kovac’s debut match as Dortmund manager were played at a frantic tempo.
Ramy Bensebaini came close twice to giving the hosts an early lead, while Jeff Chabot’s header from Angelo Stiller’s free-kick was ruled out for offside, denying Stuttgart the opener.
Jamie Gittens was a lively presence on the left flank, testing Alexander Nubel with a powerful long-range shot that the Stuttgart goalkeeper expertly turned away at his near post.
Deniz Undav had a golden opportunity to punish former Stuttgart captain Waldemar Anton for a careless backpass, but Emre Can’s quick intervention thwarted him just in time.
Moments later, Karim Adeyemi nearly broke the deadlock with a clever back-heel attempt from Julian Ryerson’s cross, forcing Nubel into another sharp save to conclude a captivating first half.
Adeyemi remained a threat after the break and came close again with a shot that flashed narrowly wide.
However, Sebastian Hoeneß’s side struck first in bizarre fashion. Jamie Leweling found Chris Fuhrich on the right, whose cross was inadvertently deflected into the net by Anton, gifting his former club the lead.
Chabot then extended Stuttgart’s advantage just over an hour into the game, clinically converting Leweling’s precise cross with a left-footed strike for his first Bundesliga goal.
Gittens continued to spark hope for Dortmund with a deflected effort that Nubel brilliantly pushed onto the crossbar.
Despite enjoying prolonged spells of possession, the hosts found it difficult to break down Stuttgart’s disciplined defensive setup.
Dortmund finally pulled one back when Julian Brandt combined with Pascal Gross at a short corner, smashing the ball into the net to reduce the deficit. With momentum building, hopes of a late comeback soared.
Those hopes were dashed when Ryerson received a second yellow card for dissent, leaving Dortmund to play out the closing minutes with 10 men.
The defeat marked their eighth league loss of the season and extended their run to 13 consecutive games without a clean sheet.
Stuck in 11th place, Dortmund’s struggles continued, while Stuttgart climbed to fourth, at least temporarily, pending RB Leipzig’s clash with St. Pauli on Sunday.