Stuttgart vs Dortmund: Top Four Battle Heat Up as Guirassy Plan Exit

Bundesliga title race dey hot like pepper soup as Bayern Munich dey lead with nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, but the real gist for Matchday 28 na the showdown between second-placed Dortmund and third-placed VfB Stuttgart. The match go hold at MHPArena on Saturday, and both teams dey fight for top-four finish and Champions League spot for next season.

Stuttgart dey come into this match with confidence after dem hammer Augsburg 5-2 for their last game. Deniz Undav, Tiago Tomás, Nikolas Nartey and Ermedin Demirović all score for Die Schwaben, and now dem dey three points clear for third place. But RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim dey follow dem closely, so if Stuttgart lose today, three teams fit end up with same points for top four if their competitors win their own matches.

For Stuttgart side, coach Sebastian Hoeneß go likely start with Finn Jeltsch, Julian Chabot and Ramon Hendriks as three-man defence. Angelo Stiller and Atakan Karazor go control midfield, while Undav go look for him 19th goal of the season. Undav dey currently second for Bundesliga top scorers chart behind Harry Kane.

Borussia Dortmund dey nine points behind Bayern Munich for first place, but dem dey safe for second with eight points ahead of Stuttgart. Since dem lose 3-2 to Bayern, Niko Kovač men don win all their games and dem dey comfortable for Champions League qualification. Jobe Bellingham dey in contention to start with Marcel Sabitzer for midfield, while Serhou Guirassy go lead attack with Maximilian Beier and Julian Brandt behind am.

But as Dortmund dey prepare for this important match, big transfer news don burst. According to Bild report, Serhou Guirassy wan leave Borussia Dortmund next summer. The 30-year-old striker get contract until 2028, but im dey keen to move for sporting reasons. Guirassy, wey be Dortmund top scorer this season with 18 goals and six assists for 39 matches, get release clause of €35 million wey fit activate from July.

The clause na for Europe top clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool. But interest dey from other places too. Fenerbahçe Istanbul, AC Milan, Premier League clubs and Saudi Arabia teams dey eye the Guinean striker. Guirassy brother and agent, Karamba Guirassy, dey push for im last big contract, and Saudi Arabia fit double im current €9 million annual salary.

Guirassy move from Stuttgart to Dortmund for €18 million in 2024, and im debut season na 34 goals and nine assists for 45 matches. Now Dortmund sporting director Ole Book face challenge to find replacement. Fabio Silva wey dem sign last summer never establish himself as reliable goalscorer with just one goal and five assists.

According to Sky, German rising star Nicolo Tresoldi dey candidate to succeed Guirassy. The Italian-born player wey move from Hannover 96 to Club Brugge this summer get 14 goals and five assists for 48 matches. Im transfer fee dey between €25-30 million. Another option na Fisnik Asllani from TSG Hoffenheim, wey get €30 million release clause. Asllani agent Ayman Dahmani say Barcelona dey show serious interest for the Berlin-born Kosovo international.

Meanwhile, another Dortmund player dey attract transfer interest. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel dey on radar of Chelsea and Newcastle United. The 28-year-old Switzerland international say im love Dortmund fans make am stay last summer despite Chelsea interest, but now both English clubs dey track am again. Bayern Munich dey also consider Kobel as replacement for 40-year-old Manuel Neuer.

Kobel join Dortmund from Stuttgart in 2021 and im don become top tier stopper in Europe. Im get 12 clean sheets and concede 28 goals for 27 Bundesliga appearances this season. Transfermarkt value am at €40 million, but with contract until 2028, Dortmund likely go demand more. Chelsea get Robert Sánchez, Filip Jørgensen and Gabriel Slonina as goalkeepers, while Newcastle United rely on Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale and Mark Gillespie.

For other Bundesliga matches for Matchday 28, Bayern Munich travel to SC Freiburg Europa-Park Stadion as dem continue their title quest. Freiburg coach Julian Schuster team dey still compete for three fronts and dem dey eighth with nine points behind top six. RB Leipzig make trip to SV Werder Bremen, wey get mini-revival under new coach Daniel Thioune.

VfL Wolfsburg wey dey 17th place face tough test against Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena. TSG Hoffenheim welcome Mainz 05 to PreZero Arena as dem try revive their European push. FC Augsburg and Hamburg battle for stability at WWK Arena, while rock-bottom Heidenheim fight for survival against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

FC St. Pauli face Union Berlin at Stadion an der Alten Forsterei, and 1. FC Cologne begin new era under coach René Wagner when dem visit Eintracht Frankfurt for Sunday match. The Bundesliga title might nearly decide, but the race for European spots and survival dey still wide open with just seven games remaining.