VfB Stuttgart – Bayer Leverkusen
The 14th matchday of the Bundesliga is coming up. With the DFB Cup round of 16 taking place during the week, some teams had little time to catch their breath. Stuttgart and Leverkusen were among them and both reached the next round of the cup. Sunday afternoon’s game is the top match of the matchday, as first place meets third place. The two teams are separated by just five points and there is a lot at stake for both. Find out who will come out on top and who will come away empty-handed in our Stuttgart – Leverkusen betting tip.
VfB knocked BVB out of the cup on Wednesday evening, beating Borussia twice in the space of four weeks. They are currently in top form and are ready for the league leaders from Leverkusen. Bayer, on the other hand, played against second-division Paderborn in the cup and also progressed to the next round with ease. Now two of the hottest teams at the moment will meet in a direct duel. Should Stuttgart win, they will close the gap to Leverkusen to just two points and Bayer will be in danger of surrendering top spot in the table to Munich.
Stuttgart – Leverkusen info
- Date & Time: 10.12.2023, 3:30 pm
- Venue: MHP-Arena, Stuttgart
- Competition: Bundesliga, matchday 14
- TV broadcast: DAZN
Stuttgart Form & Balance Check
Stuttgart are currently riding a wave of success. The 2:0 win in the DFB Cup during the week was their fourth competitive match win in a row. As a result, Stuttgart remain in third place in the league with a record of ten wins and three defeats. Five points separate VfB from the top of the table and the lead to fifth place is five points.
The Swabians are currently a force to be reckoned with, especially in front of their own fans. In the current season, they have only suffered one defeat at home and have otherwise taken full points. If VfB continue to perform so strongly, those responsible will no longer be able to avoid the words “Champions League” as a goal for the season
Undav wants to play for Germany
Stuttgart’s striker Deniz Undav has played a big part in their success. The 27-year-old, who joined the Swabians on loan from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer, has hit the ground running. With eight goals and two assists, Undav has attracted a lot of attention in recent weeks.
The striker with Turkish roots, who could feature for both national teams, recently announced that he has decided to play for Germany if he gets the chance. National team coach Julian Nagelsmann has probably already contacted Undav by phone and it seems only a matter of time before Undav is allowed to present himself in the national team circle
Stuttgart facts & analysis
- Third place in the table
- Won four games in a row
- Goal ratio of 33:15
Leverkusen form & balance check
Leverkusen are also still in impressive form. This season, Bayer have won everything except the games against Munich and BVB. Their record is therefore first place with eleven wins and two draws. Bayer also lead their Europa League group with aplomb and in the DFB Cup during the week they advanced to the quarter-finals with a 3:1 victory.
This means Leverkusen are still in a three-way tie, but do not appear to be showing any signs of strain or weakness. Nevertheless, Bayern are breathing down Leverkusen’s neck and a defeat in Stuttgart could mean that Bayer will have to relinquish top spot in the table for the first time since matchday 6. The Werkself will of course want to avoid that with a good performance in Stuttgart
Schick is back
Czech player Patrick Schick, who had been out of action for almost a year due to various injuries and then suffered a torn fiber in November, made his comeback a week ago. First he scored at BK Häcken, then he set up the 1:1 against BVB and in the cup he scored the decisive 3:1 against Paderborn.
That’s three strong goal contributions in the first three games after his return. Bayer’s already formidable attack has thus been bolstered and coach Xabi Alonso has another option up front. However, Schick himself said that there is still a long way to go to regain his former strength. The striker scored 24 goals in 27 league games in the 2021/22 season
Leverkusen facts & analysis
- First place in the table
- Still without defeat this season
- Goal ratio of 38:11
Predicted line-up – last update on December 8, 2023
We expect Stuttgart to play in a 4-2-2-2 formation. The cup match against Dortmund was energy-sapping, so coach Sebastian Hoeneß could rotate a little. However, the attacking duo of Undav and Serhou Guirassy should be set.
Bayer will continue to play in a 3-4-3 system, with Florian Wirtz, Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface as the attacking trio. While a few changes were made against Paderborn, Alonso should return to his usual league starting eleven against Stuttgart. Schick, who has made such a strong comeback, will continue to come off the bench as a wild card
Stuttgart – Leverkusen head-to-head & statistics
In total, this encounter has already taken place 87 times. Leverkusen clearly lead the overall record with 43 wins. Stuttgart have won 23 games and 21 matches have ended in draws. The last match was on matchday 32 of the previous season and ended 1-1. The very first meeting took place back in 1979. Back then, Stuttgart won 3:1
- Leverkusen lead the overall standings
- The last game ended in a draw
- VfB’s last win was in 2018
