In what could be a crucial battle in the race for Champions League football, Stuttgart will welcome Borussia Monchengladbach to MHPArena on Saturday in their 20th game of their 2024-25 Bundesliga campaign.
The hosts are fourth with 32 points but their 2-0 defeat against Mainz 05 on January 25 means they are only five points ahead of eighth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, who beat VfL Bochum 3-0 on the same date.
Match preview
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The home side faced four big chances and only created one of their own against Mainz when Deniz Undav squandered a golden opportunity near the centre of the box, dragging his unopposed effort wide of the left post in the 13th minute.
Die Roten only occupy the final Champions League qualification spot thanks to having better goal difference than fifth-placed RB Leipzig, though only the top three have collected more than Stuttgart's nine points in the last four Bundesliga games.
Head coach Sebastian Hoeness's team were eliminated from this season's Champions League when they lost 4-1 against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and finished in 26th place.
Stuttgart emerged as 3-1 victors against Borussia Monchengladbach in the reverse fixture on September 14, a match in which they hit the woodwork and produced six big chances.
Though Hoeness's side have been beaten in their past two outings, they won eight of their previous nine and have won six, drawn two and lost just one of their last nine league matches.
The hosts' record at home in the Bundesliga has been strong given they have triumphed in five of their seven most recent games in the top flight at MHPArena and have scored at least two goals in all but two of their 10 league matches at home.
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As for Borussia Monchengladbach, their second-half performance against Bochum was exceptional considering they produced nearly two of their 2.26 xG after the interval, as well as five of their six big chances.
Die Fohlen are just four points from sixth-placed Mainz, who occupy the Bundesliga's Conference League qualification spot, and are also five points from RB Leipzig.
Boss Gerardo Seoane will be pleased that his side kept a clean sheet against Bochum as it was their first in eight matches, with the club having conceded eight goals in their previous two.
It should be noted that Seoane's team have only won back-to-back fixtures once this season and lost the three games prior to their win last time out.
The visitors' form on the road this term is poor given they have been beaten in six, drawn two and triumphed in just one of their past nine fixtures away from home.
Team News
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Stuttgart midfielder Atakan Karazor is suspended as a result of accumulating too many yellow cards, and he will be joined on the sidelines by defender Jeff Chabot, who is also suspended.
Angelo Stiller is certain to start in midfield, and he may be joined in a double pivot by Yannik Keitel, while Anthony Rouault and Ameen Al-Dakhil could be stationed in front of goalkeeper Alexander Nubel given centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou is injured.
Striker El Bilal Toure and winger Justin Diehl are both set to miss out, so perhaps Undav will play in a front two alongside Nick Woltemade.
Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach will have to contend with the absence of attacking midfielder Alassane Plea, as well as winger Franck Honorat until May due to a broken ankle.
Striker Tim Kleindienst is likely to be supported in attack by Robin Hack, Tomas Cvancara and Kevin Stoger.
Rocco Reitz and Julian Weigl are probable candidates to feature in midfield, and they could start in front of centre-backs Nico Elvedi and Marvin Friedrich.
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Vagnoman, Rouault, Al-Dakhil, Mittelstadt; Larsen, Keitel, Stiller, Fuhrich; Undav, Woltemade
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Nicolas; Scally, Friedrich, Elvedi, Ullrich; Weigl, Reitz; Cvancara, Stoger, Hack; Kleindienst
We say: Stuttgart 1-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
Stuttgart could start Saturday's game sluggishly given their taxing game in the Champions League on Wednesday, and they may concede the match's first goal.
However, Borussia Monchengladbach have struggled to keep clean sheets in recent weeks, and it is hard to see them preventing their opponents from finding the back of the net.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
