Ninth-placed Stuttgart risk falling behind in the race for European football in the Bundesliga if they lose against visitors Werder Bremen at MHPArena on Sunday.
The hosts come into the clash off the back of a 4-0 victory against VfL Bochum on April 5 and have 40 points, while the Green-Whites emerged as 2-0 winners against Eintracht Frankfurt last Saturday and are in 10th place with 39 points.
Match preview
© Imago
Stuttgart were good value for their win against Bochum, with the victors hitting the woodwork, producing roughly three xG and generating three big chances.
Having netted seven times in two games, the home side have scored as many goals in that period as they had in their prior five, and they also kept their first clean sheet in nine games.
Die Roten are four points from sixth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach and six points from fifth-placed Mainz 05, who occupy the Conference League and Europa League qualification spots respectively.
Head coach Sebastian Hoeness has led his side to two consecutive victories in their two most recent matches, but they were winless in their previous six, losing four times.
Though Stuttgart triumphed 3-1 against RB Leipzig on April 2 in their last home outing, they lost five of the six games at MHPArena in the buildup to that win.
© Imago
As for Werder Bremen, they prevented Eintracht Frankfurt from creating any big chances and from registering any of their nine attempts on target.
The club have improved significantly defensively and have kept two consecutive clean sheets, whereas they had only prevented their opponents from scoring in two of their prior eight while conceding 19 goals.
Boss Ole Werner's team earned a point in the reverse fixture against Stuttgart when they drew 2-2 on November 24, though the manager will be disappointed that his side failed to claim all three points given they took the lead in the sixth and 77th minutes.
The Green-Whites have triumphed in three of their past four matches – losing one – while scoring nine goals and conceding on four occasions, keeping three clean sheets in that period.
Werder Bremen have won their last two away trips by a cumulative score of 5-0, but they failed to win their previous five on the road, suffering defeat on four occasions.
Team News
© Imago
Stuttgart will have to contend with the absence of defenders Luca Jaquez, Josha Vagnoman and Dan-Axel Zagadou, while Ameen Al Dakhil is suspended.
Leonidas Stergiou, Finn Jeltsch, Julian Chabot and Maximilian Mittelstadt may be stationed in a back four behind midfielders Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller.
Striker Justin Diehl will play no part in Sunday's match due to a hamstring injury, but Nick Woltemade and Ermedin Demirovic are both available for selection.
As for Werder Bremen, centre-back Milos Veljkovic is the visitors' only confirmed injury absentee, though fellow central defender Amos Pieper is a doubt after he was forced off against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Should Pieper not make the matchday squad, expect Werner to field a back three of Niklas Stark, Marco Friedl and Anthony Jung.
Jens Stage, Senne Lynen and Romano Schmid started last time out in midfield, and they could be tasked with supporting forwards Marvin Ducksch and Oliver Burke.
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Stergiou, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Leweling, Karazor, Stiller, Fuhrich; Woltemade, Demirovic
Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:
Zetterer; Stark, Friedl, Jung; Weiser, Stage, Lynen, Schmid, Agu; Ducksch, Burke
We say: Stuttgart 2-1 Werder Bremen
Both sides can be expected to find the back of the net at least once given their form has improved in the past weeks.
Stuttgart will almost certainly have to win if they are to avoid dropping out of the race for European football, and backed by their home crowd, they could get the better of Werder Bremen.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
