Deniz Undav has not scored for VfB Stuttgart since May. Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß remains confident the striker will rediscover his decisive edge ahead of Saturday's home match against second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

"That will come again. I have absolutely no doubt about that." said Hoeneß. The history supports his belief: in 112 Bundesliga meetings between the clubs, 381 goals have been scored, and Undav has netted six times against Dortmund, more than against any other side, including a hat-trick last November.

Attacking Alternatives

While Undav awaits his first league goal of the season, other forwards are making their mark. Ermedin Demirović scored a hat-trick in last week's 3-1 Champions League win over Viking, with Undav providing two assists. Demirović has four goals in five appearances overall. Serhou Guirassy, who joined from Dortmund in the summer, has four goals and two assists. And new signing Dženan Pejčinović, brought in from Wolfsburg, showed his potential with a hat-trick in the DFB Cup against Rostock, though he is yet to score in the league. Germany national team coach Jürgen Klopp has stated he intends to speak to Pejčinović about a potential call-up.

Sebastian Hoeneß's side sit 14th in the Bundesliga table with three points from three matches. Their last outing was a 2-1 defeat at TSG Hoffenheim, where Maximilian Mittelstädt scored the consolation goal.

The Dortmund Challenge

Borussia Dortmund arrive in Stuttgart with a perfect record. Under coach Niko Kovač, BVB have taken nine points from their first three games, a feat last achieved 11 years ago. Competition up front is a key factor: Fabio Silva has already scored two Bundesliga goals, matching his total from last season which took 28 matches. "Competition keeps things lively. If you don’t have competition, you sit back, you rest, you get complacent, and then you don’t get the results you’d like," Kovač explained.

For VfB, the home game against the strong second-placed side is a major challenge but also an opportunity. Their last five competitive matches have yielded three wins and two defeats (LWWLW). This season's squad overview and injury list are available under squad and injuries. The last meeting between the two sides in April ended in a 2-0 home defeat for Stuttgart. A positive result on Saturday could significantly boost their early-season momentum and provide a spark for the attackers, led by Deniz Undav. Kick-off at the MHP Arena is at 15:30.

The report in full is at bundesliga.com