Borussia Dortmund have started a Bundesliga season with four wins for the first time in 11 years. Niko Kovač's side beat VfB Stuttgart 1-0 away from home to move clear at the top of the table. Maximilian Beier settled the contest, converting Jobe Bellingham's pass in the 70th minute. BVB have a perfect 12 points.
Dortmund are coping well despite their injury problems. Emre Can, Giannis Konstantelias, Justin Lerma and Filippo Mané were unavailable in Stuttgart. The situations of Can and Konstantelias are particularly serious, as both are dealing with torn cruciate ligaments. The return of Konstantinos Karetsas was positive news, however. The 18-year-old Greek was included in the squad for the Stuttgart game after previous health problems and came on in the second half.
After the international break, Dortmund will begin a demanding stretch. They host Werder Bremen on 9 October, before facing a run of nine matches in 30 days. With such a packed schedule, squad depth will be crucial. For now, though, BVB can look at the situation calmly: they lead the table and are the only team with a perfect record.