Dortmund’s Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa, right, and other players dejected after the match

Borussia Dortmund’s bipolar start to the season continued following a loss at home to Hannover 96 on Saturday while VfB Stittgart twice came from behind to overcome Eintracht Frankfurt 5-4 elsewhere in the Bundesliga.

Jürgen Klopp’s side went into the encounter off a 4-0 thumping of Galatsaray in a UEFA Champions League match on Wednesday, but could do nothing to prevent going down to a sixth league defeat after nine matches.

Contrasting mood: Hanover’s Japanese midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake (L) celebrates with others

Japanese midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake scored the winning goal for Hannover that was reduced to 10 men late in the match but held on to inflict another disappointing defeat on the Bumblebees.

The result leaves Dortmund, which finished second last season, down in 15th place with just eight points, a point and a place off the relegation zone occupied in descending order by Hamburg, Freiburg and winless Werder Bremen, with the trio losing their respective matches this weekend.

Elsewhere in the Bundesliga on Saturday, Stuttgart camd from 1-0 and 4-3 down to eventually overcome Frankfurt 5-4, with Timo Werner and Christian Gentner scoring twice in as many minutes in the closing stages to win it for Stuttgart.

In other matches, Hakan Calhanoglu’s goal early in the second half was enough to give Bayer Leverkusen a 1-0 win at home to Schalke while Hoffenheim remain unbeaten following a 1-0 win over Paderborn, going up to second spot with 17 points as a result.

League leaders Bayern Munich could however open a six point lead when they visit third placed Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday, with Wolfsburg at home to fifth placed FSV Mainz 05 in Sunday’s other Bundesliga match.