Dortmund suffer 2-1 home loss to VfB Stuttgart on coach Kovac's debut

DORTMUND, Germany : Borussia Dortmund slumped to a 2-1 defeat to visitors VfB Stuttgart on Saturday in a disappointing debut for new coach Niko Kovac that dropped his team further away from the Champions League qualification spots.

Kovac took over last week after Dortmund, who face Sporting in a Champions League playoff next week, sacked coach Nuri Sahin in late January following a four-game losing run across all competitions.

Stuttgart took an unexpected lead when Dortmund defender Waldemar Anton turned a cutback into his own goal in the 50th minute. They doubled it with Jeff Chabot's header at the far post just past the hour.

The hosts, who were dominant after the break, cut the deficit with Julian Brandt's low drive from a tight angle in the 81st but their efforts to get an equaliser were derailed when defender Julian Ryerson was sent off with a second booking.

Last season's Champions League finalists Dortmund are on 29 points in 11th place in the Bundesliga. Stuttgart are on 35 in fourth place.