Bayern vs Stuttgart – Saturday, May 12, 14:30BST/15:30CEST – Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany The Südklassiker between Bayern and Stuttgart used
Bayern vs Stuttgart – Saturday, May 12, 14:30BST/15:30CEST – Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Bayern vs Stuttgart will take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Wednesday (Photo by Lennart Preiss/Bongarts/Getty Images)
The Südklassiker between Bayern and Stuttgart used to be among the top games in German football. But whereas Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga in recent years, Stuttgart have tumbled down the standings and spent last season in Bundesliga 2.
The shine has, therefore, somewhat come off the match. Furthermore, for Bayern little remains to be played for ahead of matchday 34. The Rekordmeister wrapped up the title weeks ago, and the match against Stuttgart will be all about receiving die Meisterschale the German title – expect Weißbier showers and victory laps at the Allianz Arena no matter the final score.
It is a different story for Stuttgart, however. Back in the Bundesliga after a brief stint in Bundesliga 2, the Swabians can still qualify for the Europa League. In eighth place, two points behind sixth-placed Leipzig and one point behind seventh-placed Frankfurt Stuttgart need to win their match and hope that results in other stadiums are going their way.
Even a seventh-place finish could be enough if either Bayern win the DFB Pokal or if Eintracht Frankfurt win it, but at the same time finish in the top six. On paper, therefore, Bayern should take it easy against the Swabians, but the Bavarians have been reluctant to take the foot off the pedal, and given that this will be head coach Jupp Heynckes’ last ever game in the Bundesliga Bayern will likely try to finish the season with another victory.
Bayern vs Stuttgart – Players to look out for:
Robert Lewandowski #9 – Bayern München
Robert Lewandowski has scored 29 goals in 29 games this season – scoring a goal every 72 minutes. After finishing last season with 30 goals, the Polish striker will attempt to finish another season with 30 goals or more. Last season the 30 goals, however, were not enough to secure him the Torjägerkanone(goalscoring title) as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed an unbelievable 33 goals. Aubameyang, however, left Germany in the winter leaving Lewandowski without a true competitor for the top goalscoring award as the next best striker in the league is Nils Petersen, who has scored 15 goals for Freiburg.
Robert Lewandowski could score 30 or more goals for the second season in a row. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Mario Gomez #27 – VfB Stuttgart
Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez scored 75 goals in 115 Bundesliga games for Bayern between 2009 to 2013. It was Gomez’s first club away from Stuttgart where he went through the youth academy. He also played for Fiorentina, Besiktas and Wolfsburg before finally returning home this winter to help his club fight off relegation and secure himself a place in the German national team squad. The 32-year-old has certainly done his part scoring eight goals in 16 games for the VfB being a major reason for why Stuttgart have climbed up the table during the second half of the season.
How often will Stuttgart fans press the Mario Gomez button on Saturday? (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Bayern vs Stuttgart – Match Stats
- Bayern will finish the season with 87 points if they win – five more than they managed under Carlo Ancelotti last season.
- Heynckes has more wins against Stuttgart than any other club, including his last nine in all competitions. His last defeat to the Swabians was back in April 2010, when he was coach of Bayer Leverkusen.
- Lewandowski will end the season as the top scorer for the third time. The Poland captain currently has 29 goals.
Futbolgrad Network Prediction: Bayern vs Stuttgart – 3-0
Bayern vs Stuttgart – Lineups
Bayern München:
Formation: 4-3-3
Ulreich – Kimmich, Süle, Hummels, Rafinha – Tolisso, Javi Martínez, James – Müller, Lewandowski, Ribery
Head Coach: Jupp Heynckes
VfB Stuttgart:
Formation: 4-4-2
Zieler – Baumgartl, Pavard, Kaminski, Insua – Gentner, Mangala, Badstuber, Thommy – Ginczek, Gomez
Head Coach: Tayfun Korkut
Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He also works as a freelance journalist and among others works for the Bundesliga and Pro Soccer USA. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which is available HERE. Originally from Munich, Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently is located in Victoria BC, Canada. Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.
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