Na MHPArena go host di clash wey go affect both ends of Bundesliga table on Sunday, as Champions League-chasing Stuttgart welcome relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.
Die Roten dey look to build on dia DFB-Pokal triumph last time out, while Die Werderaner dey hope for back-to-back wins for only di second time dis season.
Sebastian Hoeness’s Stuttgart don enjoy strong campaign so far, bouncing back from di disappointment of finishing ninth in 2024-25 by pushing for a spot in di top four dis term.
With just four games to play for di Bundesliga calendar, Die Roten currently dey sit fourth for di German top flight, two points clear of fifth-placed Hoffenheim and four above sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
To add to dat promising position, Hoeness’s side dey on course to retain dia DFB-Pokal crown after Tiago Tomas‘s extra-time winner see di club down Freiburg 2-1 for Thursday’s semi-final, setting up a showdown with Bayern Munich for May 23.
However, di only consistent thing about Stuttgart for recent weeks na dia ability to alternate between victory and defeat over dia last eight outings across all competitions.
For example, Die Roten follow up dia 4-0 demolition of Hamburger SV for April 12 with a 4-2 beating by Bayern a week later, before success against Die Breisgau-Brasilianer for di cup.
If Sunday’s hosts no fit find some solidity for di closing stretch of 2025-26, then dem fit get caught out by dia top-four rivals at di final hurdle, though di more positive amongst di MHPArena faithful go highlight dat di club don win consecutive matches at home ahead of dis weekend – di first time since mid February.
Meanwhile, Daniel Thioune don perform commendably for di Werder dugout since taking di reins from Horst Steffen, though im team’s Bundesliga future dey hang for balance with four games to play.
Die Werderaner dey 15th for di division, where dia tally of 31 points get dem five above 16th-placed St Pauli, wey occupy di league’s relegation playoff spot, and seven clear of 17th-placed Wolfsburg.
Dat cushion na from a hard-fought 3-1 victory against Hamburger SV for last Saturday’s Nordderby, a match wey see Jens Stage bag a brace with goals either side of half time, before Cameron Peurtas seal di points with a 91st-minute effort of im own.
Dat triumph mark a fourth success for seven outings for di Green-Whites, wey seem to don find dia feet at di perfect time after going winless across di previous 13 games.
Adding to di visitors’ confidence dis weekend na di fact dat dem don win two of dia last three away contests – 4-1 against Union Berlin for March 8 and 1-0 against Wolfsburg two weeks later – but if dem get beat on Saturday, den dem fit get drawn back into a feisty demotion scrap.
Stuttgart go dey without centre-back Finn Jeltsch as im dey recover from an abdominal injury, though Luca Jaquez and Jeff Chabot suppose dey on hand to start for di heart of di hosts’ defence, flanked by Josha Vagnoman and Ramon Hendriks.
Die Roten dey also miss young wingers Justin Diehl and Lazar Jovanovic due to respective muscle and back injuries, but Chris Fuhrich, Deniz Undav and Jamie Leweling go dey ready to support striker Tiago Tomas up top.
As for Werder, dem get an extensive list of absentees for Saturday’s clash, given dat versatile forward Marco Grull dey suspended, striker Keke Topp dey out for di season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and fellow frontman Victor Boniface dey a doubt as im dey recover from illness.
With dat for mind, Thioune fit opt for Jovan Milosevic to lead di line dis weekend, aided by Justin Njinmah and Romano Schmid, though Boniface fit yet make di squad after di manager speak positively about di loanee’s showings for training.
For di opposite end of di pitch, goalkeeper Karl Hein don rule out for di season with a thumb injury, much like centre-back Julian Malatini, wey dey deal with an ankle ligament tear.
However, left-back Felix Agu and right-back Mitchell Weiser – di latter of whom don dey out for di entirety of 2025-26 with an ACL injury – fit feature for di final few games of di campaign, though di duo dey set to sideline for Stuttgart.
Filling di gaps, di visitors fit line up with Amos Pieper and Marco Friedl at centre-half, protecting shot-stopper Mio Backhaus, while Yukinari Sugawara and Olivier Deman dey operate at full-back.
Elsewhere, defensive midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt dey also suspended after collecting im fifth yellow card of di season for di Nordderby, while 19-year-old Wesley Adeh dey work im way back from an ankle injury, so Jens Stage, Senne Lynen and Cameron Puertas dey set to patrol di centre of di park.
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