Borussia Dortmund moved to the top of the Bundesliga table on Saturday after a 1-0 away victory over VfB Stuttgart at the MHPArena, with Maximilian Beier scoring the decisive goal in the 70th minute.
The result gave Dortmund a perfect four wins from four league matches and 12 points, putting Niko Kovac’s side two points clear of Bayern Munich and Freiburg heading into the international break.
The visitors had to remain patient after a goalless first half, but Beier eventually converted a well-worked move involving Jobe Bellingham to settle a tightly contested encounter.
Dortmund created an early opportunity when Beier headed wide from close range, while Stuttgart also threatened before the interval through Bilal El Khannouss.
Neither side could break the deadlock during the opening 45 minutes, leaving Dortmund to find another route through a Stuttgart defence that had largely contained the visitors.
The breakthrough arrived 20 minutes from full time.
Jobe Bellingham received the ball after a clever pass from Konstantinos Karetsas and drove a low delivery across the Stuttgart penalty area. Beier reacted quickest and turned the ball home to give Dortmund the lead.
The goal capped a significant personal response for Beier, who had recently missed out on Jurgen Klopp’s expanded Germany squad despite having been part of the national team’s World Cup group. Dortmund coach Kovac praised the forward’s reaction to the disappointment.
The victory marks Dortmund’s first four-match winning start to a Bundesliga campaign in a decade.
It also puts the club at the summit of the German top flight for the first time since May 2023, when Dortmund’s title challenge ended dramatically after they failed to beat Mainz on the final day of that season.
Dortmund’s early league record now reads:
- Matches: 4
- Wins: 4
- Points: 12
- Position: 1st
The victory is particularly significant because Stuttgart made Dortmund work for the points, with the hosts pushing for an equaliser after Beier’s goal. Dortmund’s defence held firm to secure all three points.
Jobe Bellingham played a central role in the winning goal, providing the final pass that allowed Beier to finish.
The youngster’s contribution adds another positive element to Dortmund’s strong opening to the season, while Karetsas also returned to action after being sidelined following a cardiovascular issue during a Champions League match earlier in September.
Karetsas came off the bench shortly after the hour mark and subsequently helped create the move that produced the decisive goal.
For Stuttgart, the defeat represents another setback after a difficult opening stretch. Reuters reported that the loss was their third in four Bundesliga matches.
Dortmund’s rise to the top came amid dropped points for Freiburg, while Bayern Munich strengthened their position with a commanding victory on Friday.
Freiburg were held to a 2-2 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt, ending their perfect start and leaving them level with Bayern on 10 points.
Bayern, meanwhile, had earlier defeated Union Berlin 7-0 to move onto 10 points.
The results mean Dortmund enter the international break as the only team with a maximum 12 points after four Bundesliga matches.
Dortmund will now have the international break to prepare for the next phase of the Bundesliga campaign.
Their immediate challenge will be maintaining the consistency that has produced four consecutive league victories while managing the expectations that come with sitting at the top of the table.
Saturday’s win did not come through an overwhelming attacking display, but Dortmund showed they could find a decisive moment in a closely contested match and protect a narrow advantage.
For Kovac and his players, that combination will be tested again when the Bundesliga resumes.
