Preview: Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart - prediction, team news, lineups

Bayern Munich entertain Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday, with the visitors able to move up to seventh in the table if they can spring a major upset by beating the Bavarians.

Bayern, meanwhile, will have the luxury of playing after RB Leipzig travel to Arminia Bielefeld on Friday night, with the gap between the title contenders currently standing at four points.

Match preview

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Indeed, it has been an extremely fruitful week for Bayern, who increased their lead over Leipzig from two points to four after last weekend's 3-1 win at Werder Bremen, and have since qualified for the Champions League quarter-final for the ninth time in 10 seasons after securing a 6-2 aggregate win over Lazio.

While Hansi Flick may be concerned with his side's failure to keep a clean sheet in each of their last seven matches since returning from the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, the 56-year-old will be delighted that his side continue to score more freely than any side in Europe.

22 goals scored in those seven matches is a simply remarkable return, with Robert Lewandowski joining Klaus Fischer in joint-second place in the all-time Bundesliga goalscoring chart during the win at Bremen. After Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry had provided Bayern with a comfortable 2-0 lead at half-time, the Poland striker hit the post, bar and saw Jiri Pavlenka superbly deny him on two other occasions, but he was not to be denied getting on the scoresheet before Niclas Fullkrug scored a late consolation goal for the hosts.

Having led 4-1 from the first leg in Rome, Bayern were overwhelming favourites to swat Lazio aside in the second leg, with Flick confident enough to rest Manuel Neuer and Kingsley Coman, as well as only utilising Alphonso Davies from the substitutes' bench. Lewandowski's penalty and Eric Choupo-Moting's strike either side of half-time wrapped up a comfortable victory, with Marco Parolo's consolation effort coming after Bayern had subbed several key players ahead of a testing match against Stuttgart.

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Bayern would be foolish to underestimate Stuttgart, who have taken 14 points from their last seven games to move back into the top half of the table.

Pellegrino Matarazzo's side have been more dangerous on the road this season, too, picking up 21 of their 36 points away from home, with Silas Wamangituka's pace and power in transition potentially deadly to any side, let alone one which plays a high defensive line like Bayern.

The 21-year-old was in scintillating form during Stuttgart's comfortable 2-0 win against Hoffenheim last weekend, racing down the right flank before cutting the ball back for Sasa Kalajdzic, who somehow missed the ball but fortunately saw the ball bounce off Kasim Nuhu and past a helpless Oliver Baumann.

Wamangituka was at it again after the break, latching onto captain Gonzalo Castro's superb slide rule pass, before laying the ball back to Kalajdzic, who on this occasion did not squander the opportunity to score for a seventh successive league match. The target man will be aiming to match Lewandowski's record of scoring in nine consecutive Bundesliga matches this season, but may find chances harder to come by against the reigning Bundesliga and European champions.

Team News

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Bayern should welcome Davies, Coman and Neuer back to the starting XI against Stuttgart, with the latter two rested against Lazio having suffered with illness during the week.

Corentin Tolisso, Douglas Costa, Tanguy Nianzou, Malik Tillman and Ron-Thorben Hoffmann all remain long-term absentees.

Stuttgart, meanwhile, are likely to travel to Munich without Orel Mangala, Hamadi Al Ghaddioui, Clinton Mola and Lilian Egloff due to injury.

Nicolas Gonzalez has returned to training after recovering from a thigh injury but may find himself saved until after the upcoming international break, with Tanguy Coulibaly hoping to earn a start.

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Muller, Coman; Lewandowski

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Mavropanos, Anton, Kempf; Wamangituka, Endo, Castro, Sosa; Coulibaly, Forster; Kalajdzic

We say: Bayern Munich 3-1 Stuttgart

Stuttgart certainly have the capabilities to provide Bayern with a seriously stern test, with Wamangituka and Kalajdzic two of the in-form players in the Bundesliga.

Bayern have conceded in each of their last nine league games at Allianz Arena and we don't envisage that run ending here, but equally Flick's side should have a little too much offensive power for Stuttgart to handle.