Hoffenheim vs Stuttgart - prediction, team news, lineups

As the contention for Champions League shot reaches a climax successful the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim volition invited top-four rivals Stuttgart to the PreZero Arena for a important six-pointer connected Saturday.

Die Kraichgauer are looking for a 3rd triumph connected the bounce this weekend, portion Die Roten are hoping to bounce backmost aft a disappointing gully past clip out.

Match preview

Christian Ilzer's Hoffenheim person been the astonishment candidates for a spot successful the apical 4 this season, but aft spending important parts of the run connected people to suffice for UEFA's premier nine competition, they person slipped down the table.

In the weeks pursuing their 3-0 triumph implicit Freiburg connected Valentine's Day, Die Kraichgauer went connected to triumph conscionable 1 of their adjacent 7 top-flight games - losing 3 and drafting 3 - a tally that included a dire 1-0 decision against relegation-threatened St Pauli connected February 28.

However, Ilzer's broadside look to person regained immoderate stableness conscionable successful clip to reboot their propulsion for Champions League football, securing a 2-1 triumph against Borussia Dortmund connected April 18, earlier another 2-1 triumph implicit Hamburger SV astir recently.

Those successes mean that Hoffenheim travel into Saturday's clash 5th successful the Bundesliga, level connected 57 points with their opponents, not to notation that they are present unbeaten successful 3 matches.

That being said, it remains to beryllium seen whether the hosts' renewed signifier tin transportation into the last 3 games of the season, particularly considering that they person lone won erstwhile crossed their past 4 location fixtures, losing doubly and drafting erstwhile - 1-1 against Wolfsburg connected March 14.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Hoeness's Stuttgart person bounced backmost impressively from their ninth-placed decorativeness successful 2024-25 to present beryllium connected way for Champions League football, particularly aft losing the likes of Nick Woltemade past summer.

Die Roten presently beryllium 4th successful the German apical flight, and person reached the last of the DFB-Pokal, wherever they volition look Bayern Munich connected May 23 successful a bid to clasp their cupful crown.

However, Hoeness's men person been notably inconsistent successful caller weeks, alternating betwixt decision and triumph successful the 8 games crossed each competitions anterior to their frustrating 1-1 gully with Werder Bremen past Sunday.

That stalemate has near Stuttgart successful a precarious position, level connected 57 points with their opponents and with conscionable a azygous league triumph - a 4-0 thrashing of Hamburger SV connected April 12 - from their 4 astir caller Bundesliga outings.

To marque matters worse, the visitors caput into this weekend's important showdown having mislaid two, drawn 2 and won lone 1 of their past 5 distant league matches, a agelong that features a shocking 2-1 beating against St Pauli and a 3-3 gully with bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim.

With conscionable 3 games remaining successful the top-flight calendar, Saturday's item fixture could beryllium decisive, and if Die Roten are to instrumentality to the apical tier of continental action, past they volition request to defy their lacklustre distant record.

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:

Stuttgart Bundesliga form:

Stuttgart signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Hoffenheim were already missing a fig of defenders, including right-back Valentin Gendrey (ankle) and centre-back Koki Machida, who is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but the hosts' rearguard volition beryllium adjacent lighter this play without suspended centre-half Robin Hranac.

Filling the gaps, Ilzer could opt for a trio of Ozan Kabak, Albian Hajdari and Bernardo successful beforehand of goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, flanking the radical with Vladimir Coufal and Bazoumana Toure astatine wing-back.

Elsewhere, midfielder Grischa Promel is besides suspended aft picking up his 5th yellowish paper of the play against Hamburger, though Leon Avdullahu and Wouter Burger should beryllium connected manus to commencement successful the centre of the park.

Up top, striker Adam Hlozek is sidelined with a calf injury, but Tim Lemperle is apt to beryllium supported by Fisnik Asllani and Andrej Kramaric successful attack.

As for Stuttgart, they are missing centre-backs Ameen Al Dakhil and Finn Jeltsch arsenic the brace enactment their mode to fittingness pursuing respective genu and abdominal injuries, truthful expect to spot Ramon Hendriks and Jeff Chabot astatine the bosom of the visiting defence.

Long-term absentee - 19-year-old winger Lazar Jovanovic - remains retired of enactment with a backmost injury, but Bilal El Khannouss, Deniz Undav and Chris Fuhrich look acceptable to enactment up down the versatile Tiago Tomas connected Saturday. 

Hoffenheim imaginable starting lineup:

Baumann; Kabak, Hajdari, Bernardo; Coufal, Avdullahu, Burger, Toure; Kramaric; Lemperle, Asllani

Stuttgart imaginable starting lineup:

Nubel; Vagnoman, Hendriks, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; El Khannouss, Undav, Fuhrich; Tomas

We say: Hoffenheim 2-1 Stuttgart

Hoffenheim person dropped the gait successful caller months, though they look to person recovered their feet conscionable successful clip to marque an interaction astatine the concern extremity of the season.

That being said, uncertainty remains astir some teams - particularly fixed Stuttgart's inconsistency - truthful expect to spot a close-fought contention connected Saturday.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.