Bundesliga: VfB Stuttgart Will Have to Earn Their Second Place Finish the Hard Way

Bayer Leverkusen vs VfB Stuttgart

Bundesliga action returns this weekend, and SBOTOP football fans are in for a cracker when Bayer Leverkusen host VfB Stuttgart at the BayArena.

Die Werkself wrapped up their first-ever German top-flight crown two weeks ago when they won 5-0 against Werder Bremen. But Xabi Alonso’s men are not satisfied and are looking for more, and they have the DFB Pokal and the Europa League in their sights, so they will be keen on extending their amazing undefeated run in order to give themselves an edge.

Meanwhile, the main aim for VfB Stuttgart is to secure the second seed and Champions League football next season. But following last weekend’s Bundesliga 2024 results, they’ve fallen to third place, although they can get back up if they bounce back against Die Werkself.

Talking Points

From “Neverkusen” to Bayer Neverlusen or Late-erkusen

Bayer Leverkusen have set the record for having the longest undefeated streak in a single season in Europe’s top five league with 45 games and counting (W38, D7), although they are without a win in two competitive games in a row for the first time this season.

Following their shellacking of Werder Bremen, Xabi Alonso’s men had back-to-back 1-1 draws against West Ham United in the Europa League quarter-finals and Borussia Dortmund in the German top-flight last Sunday.

Die Werkself needed two late goals against the Hammers and BVB to stay unbeaten, courtesy of Jeremie Frimpong and Josip Stanisic, a testament to their immense mental fortitude.

Because they’re in the Europa League semi-finals, with AS Roma as their next opponents, Xabi Alonso’s challenge is to make sure that his players don’t get rusty, and he will likely rotate his squad against VfB Stuttgart.

Granit Xhaka is not available due to a one-game suspension after he accumulated too many yellow cards, so Exequiel Palacios will replace him in midfield.

Meanwhile, Florian Wirtz should return to the starting XI after coming off the bench against Borussia Dortmund, relegating Nathan Tella to the bench.

Big summer ahead for VfB Stuttgart

Overall, VfB Stuttgart has done well this season. But now, a new challenge begins for Sebastian Hoeneß, as the team will face a huge dilemma whether they should cash in or keep their stars this upcoming offseason.

Serhou Guirassy is a hot commodity in the open market because he’s second in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race with 25 league goals (and counting). Because he’s had a robust 2023-24 campaign, the 28-year-old should attract a lot of suitors this offseason.

On the other hand, Brighton loanees Deniz Undav and Mahmoud Dahoud will see their loan contracts expire this summer, so VfB Stuttgart will have to decide whether they’ll keep them on a permanent basis or not.

Due to their limited budget, Die Schwaben are likely to keep only one of them, and the logical choice is Deniz Undav, who has recorded 17 goals and eight assists this season.

History

Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart have faced off twice this season, with the former coming out undefeated in both occasions.

These two sides shared the spoils in their reverse league fixture last December, as Chris Fuhrich and Florian Wirtz scored one goal apiece in the 1-1 stalemate.

Die Werkself then eliminated Die Schwaben from the DFB Pokal quarter-finals in February by coming back from a 2-0 deficit built by Waldemar Anton and Chris Fuhrich, as Robert Andrich, Amine Adli, and Jonathan Tah recorded three goals to advance to the final four.

Bayer Leverkusen have lost just one of their last 25 competitive matches against VfB Stuttgart (W18, D6), with their last loss being a 1-0 result in April 2018. They have also won each of their last six games against Die Schwaben at the BayArena, and each of VfB Stuttgart’s last six losses have been on the road.

Betting Tip

It’s not surprising that Bayer Leverkusen are the favoured side on Saturday because they’ve been spectacular all season. The Bundesliga 2024 odds have them priced at 1.63 to win, whereas VfB Stuttgart are 4.29 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.89 in the 1X2 market.

Goals are to be expected from this fixture because of the collective firepower between these two sides, making alternative bets like Over 3.25 at 2.19, Over 3.00 at 1.94, Total Goals 4-6 at 2.66 and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.07 all worth considering.

Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 3-2 in favour of the hosts – the result of their most recent meeting – has a big offer of 19.50.

 

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