Stuttgart's difficult start to the season deepened on matchday four when Maximilian Beier's 70th-minute goal gave Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win at the MHPArena, leaving the Swabians with three points from four games and sitting 15th in the Bundesliga table. For a club that returned to the Champions League this season, that position reflects a gap between expectation and early reality.

At the centre of the concern is Deniz Undav. The striker who finished last season as Germany's top scorer with 25 goals has managed zero goals and zero assists in the Bundesliga so far, and was left out of Jürgen Klopp's first Germany squad. Undav told Sky he feels too deep on the pitch and has had only two chances across four matches. He acknowledged he now has to prove himself to yet another national team coach, saying he was briefly disappointed but quickly refocused on earning a November call-up. Lothar Matthäus suggested the intense pressure surrounding Undav since the World Cup, including a record contract and the captaincy, may have taken a mental toll.

Against that backdrop, 20-year-old defender Finn Jeltsch offers genuine encouragement. Jürgen Klopp called him an outstanding defender after naming him in the national squad, and Kevin Kuranyi predicted he will eventually move to a top European club. Stuttgart's next competitive fixture is at home to Greuther Fürth on 1 October.