Borussia Dortmund suffered a bitter DFB Cup defeat at the hands of a surging VfB Stuttgart. In a desolate display, the once-powerful BVB was outplayed and booted out of the competition in the round of 16. For head coach Edin Terzić, the frustration mounts as results continue to elude his reigning Bundesliga side.
Stuttgart's prolific strikers, Niclas Füllkrug and Serhou Guirassy, mercilessly exploited Dortmund's vulnerabilities to clinch a well-deserved 2-0 victory. Goal-scorers Guirassy (54') and substitute Silas (77') gave Stuttgart the momentum they needed to advance to the DFB Cup's quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. The Schwarz-Gelben, however, will likely be hit with a wave of criticism after failing to secure any points in the Bundesliga for the last four matches, dropping to the cellar.
Borussia Dortmund's captain, Emre Can, lamented the team's lackluster performance in the aftermath, condemning the showing as "disastrous" and promising a change in attitude and approach. "We weren't strong enough in tackles, too soft against the ball, and lacking at the front," he stated. "We are Dortmund — we have to do better! We need to stick together — this cannot continue."
The first cup win over Dortmund in 25 years in the round of 16 (3-1) came as a vacation memo to Hans-Joachim Watzke, Borussia's CEO, who watched the game from the stands with a perturbed expression. The sold-out MHP-Arena, hosting 54,200 spectators, became an echo chamber for Stuttgart's relentless pressure. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß expressed satisfaction with his team's "active defensive play forwards," as they didn't let the visitors escape their half, entrenching themselves in a 5-4-1 system.
Dortmund was also hit with a double dose of injuries, as both Emre Can and Marius Wolf were forced off the pitch. This didn't stop Stuttgart's momentum, though; Jamal Musiala's missed goal attempt (60') barely missed nicking Dortmund a chance of leveling the score.
Stuttgart narrowly escaped another potential goal, as Kobel expertly kept an eye on Millot's fast-approaching finish (58'). BVB finally awoke from their slumber, making up ground for the remaining minutes of the game, even pushing the pace. Guirassy also narrowly missed another opportunity to add a third goal for Stuttgart (69'), but Silas secured the victory swiftly thereafter.
Borussia's travelers bore the brunt of their side's woes, gaining only five points away from home, marking their poorest away record since 2014/15. As Dortmund's DFB Cup journey reaches its conclusion, their next challenge is to face VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, potentially hoping to find some redemption in their current 16th-place standing.
Enrichment Data: Borussia Dortmund's struggles both in the DFB Cup and Bundesliga can be attributed to a combination of factors, including poor results since the start of 2025, inconsistency across games, poor away form, a lack of confidence, injuries to key players, and the challenges posed by their coaches' tenures.
