Stuttgart striker Martin Harnik wants his side to leapfrog his old club Werder Bremen when the two clash in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Harnik wants Stuttgart to follow Bremen and to pick up their first win of 2013 and relieve some of the pressure that the recent poor form has put on them.

"I think that Bremen are a bit like us, only from the North," he told the club's official website. "They are struggling a bit behind their expectations this season, but they are a step ahead of us since they got a win against Hannover.

"That gave them some relief and that is what we want to get tomorrow. I think both of us are really obliged to win this match.

"On the one hand, to ensure we stay in touch with the positions above us, and on the other hand, to build a cushion, and we desperately want to end our run of four defeats."

Stuttgart are behind Bremen on goal difference only.