VfB Stuttgart have often given BVB a hard time in recent matches, holding the Black and Yellows to a draw in four of their last five meetings at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. Here’s all you need to know about Wednesday’s Bundesliga tie.

The Scenario: The Bundesliga table is still some way from starting to take shape. As BVB learned last weekend, a win or a defeat could mean a difference of up to nine places in the standings. They go into this game sitting 10th in the Bundesliga, while Stuttgart are bottom with one point from four matches.

Home/away: Borussia Dortmund have won eight of their last nine games at Signal Iduna Park. Stuttgart haven’t won any of their last 12 matches on the road, their worst winless run away from home in more than 13 years. Their last win on their travels was their 3-1 victory at Freiburg on 10 November 2013 - it came one week after losing in Dortmund.

Team news: Mkhitaryan (foot), Blaszczykowski (thigh), Gündogan (match fitness), Kirch (thigh), Reus (ankles), Sahin (knee) and Ji (thigh) are all unavailable for BVB. Stuttgart will be without Hlousek (thighs), Abdellaoue and Ginczek (both match fitness).

Tactics: The Swabian outfit set up in a 4-4-2 diamond formation in their last games, which is also an option for BVB, as is a 4-2-3-1.

Head-to-head: In their 92 meetings so far, BVB have come out on top in 31 games, including the last three. Stuttgart have won 38 games, with 23 ending in a draw. Of Borussia’s 31 wins, 20 have come at their home ground. Against no other team have BVB failed to score against at home more often than against Stuttgart (12 times).

Statistics: Borussia Dortmund have won all of their last 11 games in the Bundesliga when they scored first while Stuttgart have lost all of their last six matches where they conceded first. The last time they came back to get a result after conceding the opening goal was on 8 March in a 2-2 draw against Braunschweig. BVB have only kept a clean sheet in one of their last eight games (a 4-0 win at Hertha BSC on 10 May 2014), while Stuttgart have only achieved that in one of their last nine matches in the Bundesliga (a 0-0 draw at Hannover on 25 April 2014).

The biggest win: On 14 March 1964, BVB stormed to a 7-1 victory with Timo Konietzka scoring four goals in front of a 28,000 crowd at Rote Erde Stadium. Lothar Emmerich (2) and Franz Brungs were also on target for BVB, with the consolation goal coming from Rolf Geiger.

Attendance: The game is sold out except for 1,500 visitors’ tickets which are available from the visiting ticket office on the North Stand side from 1600 CET on Wednesday.

Referee: The game will be officiated by Manuel Gräfe (42) from Berlin. His assistants are Guido Kleve and Thorsten Schiffner with Bibiana Steinhaus as the fourth official.