VfB Stuttgart will host Bayer Leverkusen at the MHPArena on Sunday evening, looking to get back to winning ways.
VfB Stuttgart are without a victory in their last four Bundesliga matches, and they have picked up just one win from the last six outings ahead of the game vs Bayer Leverkusen at the MHPArena on Sunday evening.
Die Schwaben are tenth in the Bundesliga table, and they will be pushing for European qualification for the next season. It will be interesting to see if Sebastian Hoeness and his charges can grind out a positive result here.
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen are coming into this game on the back of a defeat against Werder Bremen. The reigning Bundesliga champions have lost their last three matches in all competitions, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly.
It will be interesting to see if Leverkusen can get back to winning ways and close the gap to league leaders, Bayern Munich. Matches between these two sides are often quite evenly matched, and this one is likely to be another cracking contest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
VfB Stuttgart
The hosts are without Leonidas Stergiou, who is suspended for two games. Dan-Axel Zagadou has suffered another knee injury, while Luca Raimund and Nikolas Nartey are both out with a thigh injury.
VfB Stuttgart will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Bayer Leverkusen , with Alexander Nubel in goal. Josha Vagnoman and Maximilian Mittelstadt will start as the full backs. They will look to keep things compact, defensively, and hit the visitors on the break. Finn Jeltsch and Jeff Chabot will start as the central defenders.
As for the midfield unit, Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller will start in the double pivot in the middle of the park, and they will look to add defensive cover and control to the side.
Jacob Bruun Larsen and Jamie Leweling will add pace and flair from the wide areas. Enzo Millot will reprise the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates and link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Ermedin Demerovic will lead the line for the VfB Stuttgart vs Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Nubel; Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Larsen, Millot, Leweling; Demirovic
Buyer Leverkusen
Jeanuel Belocian misses out with a foot injury, Martin Terrier has an Achilles injury, and Florian Wirtz has an ankle injury. Bayer Leverkusen will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs VfB Stuttgart, with Lukas Hradecky in goal.
Edmond Tapsoba will start alongside Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie in the back three. Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo will start in the wing-back positions. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
Granit Xhaka will start in the middle of the park alongside Aleix Garcia. They will look to add creativity, drive and defensive cover to the side. Patrik Schick and Amine Adli will start in the attacking midfield areas.
They will look to create goalscoring chances in the final third and find the back of the net as well. Finally, Victor Boniface will spearhead the Bayer Leverkusen attack vs VfB Stuttgart at the MHPArena on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Garcia, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Schick, Adli; Boniface
Key Stats
- VfB Stuttgart have drawn five of their last six matches vs Bayer Leverkusen across all competitions.
- Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in their last 14 matches vs VfB Stuttgart across all competitions.
- VfB Stuttgart have been drawing at both half-time and full-time in their last 3 matches against Bayer Leverkusen in all competitions.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
Player to Watch
Patrik Schick
The Czech International is our key player to watch out for. Bayer Leverkusen will need him to step up and deliver if they want to win the game. Die Werkself have not been able to score a single goal in the last three outings, and they need someone to step up and make a difference in the final third.
Schick will help create goal scoring opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. It will be interesting to see if he can produce a strong performance and help his side get back to winning ways. He has 16 goals in the league this season.
Prediction
VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Both teams are in disappointing form right now, and this is likely to be a close contest. Five of the last six matches between these two sides have ended in a draw after normal time, and this one could follow suit.
Neither VfB Stuttgart nor Bayer Leverkusen will want to end up on the losing side, and they could take a cautious approach here. It will be difficult to separate the two teams, and they are likely to cancel each other out. The two sides will share the spoils in a goalscoring draw. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate.
