SV Darmstadt 98 vs VfB Stuttgart
After soccer returned to the European stage during the week, the Bundesliga is back in the spotlight this weekend. The German top flight then enters its 22nd matchday. The Böllenfalltor will also be back in action. The Lilies will host third-placed Swabia. You can find out who will come out on top in this clash in our Darmstadt – Stuttgart betting tip.
Stuttgart celebrated their 14th triumph in their 21st match of the season against Mainz last Sunday. Never before in the history of the Swabians had such a number of victories been recorded. The Swabians’ strong form means they are in an outstanding 3rd place in the table.
SV Darmstadt, on the other hand, have won just over 14 percent of Stuttgart’s victories to date. The Lilies are still on two trebles and therefore still occupy last place in the table. In the previous week, however, the Hessians at least held Gladbach to a 0-0 draw
Darmstadt – Stuttgart info
- Date & Time: 17.02.2024, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, Darmstadt
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 22
Darmstadt Form & Balance Check
SV Darmstadt are currently playing their third Bundesliga season this millennium. However, it currently looks as if the Lilies will be heading straight back down the elevator. In the first 21 games, SVD have so far earned twelve points and are therefore bottom of the table. However, with two other teams, Mainz and Cologne, showing clear weaknesses, the relegation place is only four points away.
However, the safe shore in the form of 15th place is already nine points away. In the previous week, however, Darmstadt fought their way to their sixth draw of the season. Goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen kept a clean sheet at Borussia-Park in Gladbach to secure the 0-0 draw. However, the Lilies’ last win dates back to 07.10.2023.
Is Polter the solution?
One year before SV Darmstadt were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time this millennium, attacker Dominik Stroh-Engel had the season of his life in the 3rd division, scoring 27 times. And the attacker also made a fundamental contribution to promotion in the German lower division with nine goals. Sandro Wagner then secured the club’s survival in the top flight with 14 goals. However, the Lilies have lacked such a goal guarantor in the first half of the season.
Top scorer so far is Tim Skarke with six goals. In winter, SVD therefore brought in Sebastian Polter, a prolific attacker. The 32-year-old is also familiar with the relegation battle in the Bundesliga. Two seasons ago, the attacker scored a total of ten times in VfL Bochum kit, helping the club from the deep west to avoid relegation. Polter also has fond memories of VfB Stuttgart, as he scored his first Bundesliga goal against the Swabians in 2011
Darmstadt facts & analysis
- Last of the table in the Bundesliga
- Badest defense in the league
- Without a win in 14 games
Stuttgart Form & Balance Sheet Check
Just over a week ago, Bayer Leverkusen narrowly beat Stuttgart 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup. VfB striker Deniz Undav said in an interview afterwards that the best German teams at the moment had met. And after Bayern’s recent performances, this statement certainly seems to have substance. Because Stuttgart, unlike the record champions, are currently in absolute top form again.
The Swabians have won their last three league games in a row, scoring an outstanding eleven goals in the process. Mainz also had no chance against VfB last Sunday, losing 3:1. This strong form has helped the Swabians to an outstanding 3rd place in the table. Qualification for the Champions League is therefore looking increasingly realistic for VfB.
The successful duo is back
Atlético Madrid in Spain’s La Liga, Álvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann are currently making headlines, as the two attackers already have more than ten goals for the season. Only one other club in Europe’s top five leagues also has two players with a double-digit number of goals in the league. And that other club is VfB Stuttgart. Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav are currently tearing the entire league apart.
The designated German international already has 14 goals for the season, while Guirassy has already scored an impressive 17. After the 27-year-old top scorer was last active with his home country Guinea at the Africa Cup, the two are now finally reunited in the Swabians’ attack. The attacking duo will do everything in their power to fire VfB back into the top flight in the coming matches
Stuttgart facts & analysis
- In third place in the Bundesliga
- Third best offense in the league
- Five of the six defeats away from home
Coach Torsten Lieberknecht will once again send Darmstadt out onto the pitch in a 3-4-1-2 on Saturday. Alongside Sebastian Polter, we expect Oscar Vilhelmsson to play in the double attack. However, Kempe and Holtmann are injured and Skarke and Maglica are suspended.
We expect VfB Stuttgart to play a 4-4-2 at Böllenfalltor again, which is why we are assuming a double attack consisting of Undav and Guirassy. However, central defender Dan-Axel Zagadou will miss the rest of the season through injury
Darmstadt – Stuttgart head-to-head comparison & stats
There have been 15 games between the two clubs. The Swabians have won six of these encounters, while Darmstadt have only been successful three times. However, SVD’s last home win against Stuttgart was on 04.02.1977.
Direct comparison (H2H)
