Eyupspor vs Kocaelispor Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview
Featured OfferBetAhoyBet £10 Get a £10 Free BetClaim Free Bet →Code ALLABOARD10 – Place qualifying bet within…
Stuttgart
Werder BremenSeven Bundesliga games without defeat. That is the kind of form that makes you sit up and take notice, and Werder Bremen have been building something genuinely impressive under Daniel Thioune this season. Back to back league wins heading into this one, a striker firing on all cylinders, and momentum that most sides in the division would kill for right now. The problem? They travel to Stuttgart, and their away record this term reads like a completely different team to the one tearing it up at home.
Stuttgart, meanwhile, are in a very different kind of form story. Mid table, two points above the drop zone, and still searching for a home win since early September. After a chastening 2-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League midweek, Sebastian Hoeness needs a response and he needs it quickly. This is a fascinating fixture with very real stakes for both sides, and the contrast in narratives makes it one of the more compelling Bundesliga matchups of the weekend.
This Bundesliga fixture takes place at the MHPArena in Stuttgart, a ground that has seen some real European nights in recent seasons but has been a surprisingly uncomfortable venue for the hosts this campaign. Stuttgart are desperate to rediscover some home comforts, while Bremen will be looking to prove their form travels further than their away record currently suggests.
Hoeness is dealing with a midfield injury crisis that would test any manager’s patience. The engine room has been hit hard, and Stuttgart will need to get creative in how they set up centrally. Bremen are not without their own injury concerns either, with nine first team players unavailable for Thioune.
One positive note for Bremen is that Niklas Stark was absent from the unavailable list at Thioune’s press conference, hinting at a possible return to the squad.
Hoeness will likely lean on what cover he has available centrally, with Spalt and Promel expected to fill the void left by Stiller and Karazor. El Khannouss operates in the more advanced midfield role, with Undav leading the line and the Stuttgart wide players asked to provide the creative thrust.
Stuttgart: Seimen; Jaquez, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Leweling, Spalt, Promel, Fuhrich; El Khannouss, Undav; Demirovic
Bremen have their own selection headaches but Fullkrug leads the attack and that is the most important name on Thioune’s teamsheet. The back four should offer some stability, with Stark potentially pushing for a place after his injury absence.
Werder Bremen: Hein; Arthur, Pieper, Friedl, Deman; Reis, Regeer; Dinkci, Chuki, Grull; Fullkrug
Stuttgart’s season has been a stop start affair that has left fans wondering which version of their side they are going to get from one week to the next. Three defeats in six games across all competitions, including that midweek loss to Galatasaray, tells a story of a team that struggles to string consistent performances together. Nine points from eight Bundesliga matches leaves them 11th and uncomfortably close to the bottom three. The fact they have not won at home since early September is a real concern for Hoeness, who will know that this fixture against in form Bremen is about as difficult a game as he could ask for right now.
Werder Bremen’s Bundesliga form is a genuinely different picture. Seven games unbeaten, wins over Mainz and Hoffenheim in their last two outings, and Niclas Fullkrug looking absolutely lethal up front. The former West Ham striker scored a double against Mainz and will arrive at Stuttgart full of confidence. However, the caveat that keeps this preview honest is Bremen’s road record. Two wins from six away games in all competitions, and they have shipped 12 goals across five away Bundesliga trips. That is a defensive vulnerability that Stuttgart will fancy exploiting if they can find any kind of rhythm going forward.
So you have a home side desperately needing a win on their own patch against a visitor with brilliant form but suspect away defending. That is not a straightforward call either way, and it sets up a fixture with genuine unpredictability baked into it.
The recent history between these two sides does not exactly fill Stuttgart with confidence. In five previous meetings, the Swabians have managed just one win, and that came last season when they absolutely hammered Bremen 4-0. That result was a statistical outlier rather than a reliable indicator of the typical pattern between these clubs. Two of the last eight encounters have ended 2-2, which is worth keeping in your back pocket as we get to the tips section.
Stuttgart will take heart from that 4-0 result and remind themselves that big wins against this opponent are possible. Bremen, though, will point to the broader record and argue the head to head trend favours them. Neither side can claim a commanding psychological edge coming into this one.
This game has draw written all over it in certain respects. Stuttgart need to rediscover their home mojo desperately, and they will not be short of motivation. But Bremen’s quality and their attacking threat, particularly through Fullkrug, makes backing the hosts outright a leap of faith. The interesting angle is that Bremen’s poor defensive record on the road opens the door for goals at both ends, while Stuttgart are unlikely to roll over in front of their own fans after a bruising midweek.
Two of the last eight meetings ended 2-2, and given that both teams carry genuine attacking threat but neither looks watertight at the back right now, that scoreline feels like a reasonable call again. Stuttgart nick one through Undav, Fullkrug does what Fullkrug does, and both sides leave with a point. We are going 2-2.
Both sides like to push forward and get bodies into attacking areas, and with Stuttgart needing to press for a win at home and Bremen not exactly sitting deep away from home, this should generate a decent amount of wide play and set piece situations. Over 9.5 corners looks the smart play in what should be an open, attacking encounter at the MHPArena.
Stuttgart’s midfield is depleted and they will need to work harder defensively to cover the spaces left by Karazor and Stiller. That means more desperate challenges and a higher likelihood of bookings in the middle of the park. Add in the needle of Fullkrug versus Undav and the national team subplot, and this has the ingredients for a feisty one. Over 3.5 cards feels reasonable given the stakes for Stuttgart and the physical nature of Bremen’s pressing game.
Bremen’s away defensive record is alarming, Stuttgart will not want to be passive at home, and both goalkeepers will be tested. The 12 goals Bremen have conceded away from home this season is not a small sample size anomaly, it is a genuine structural issue. Couple that with Fullkrug in red hot form and Undav hungry to prove a point after being omitted from the national squad, and over 2.5 goals is the call here without much hesitation.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Goals | Over 2.5 |
| Both Teams to Score | Yes |
| Corners | Over 9.5 |
Both teams have the firepower to score, the game has the tempo and tactical openness to generate corners, and the over 2.5 goals selection ties it all together neatly given how leaky Bremen have been on the road this term.
Stuttgart will be fired up after the Galatasaray defeat and the pressure of sitting just two points above the drop zone will sharpen their focus. But Werder Bremen are simply too good right now to be dismissed, and Fullkrug in this kind of form is a nightmare for any defence to handle. The away defensive record is the one genuine weakness Bremen carry into this game, and Stuttgart will be desperate enough to exploit it.
A 2-2 draw feels like the most honest prediction. Stuttgart grab an equaliser when Bremen’s backline creaks, Bremen hit back through Fullkrug, and neither side quite manages to put the game to bed. A point each, plenty of goals, and a fixture that delivers on its promise. Stuttgart 2-2 Werder Bremen.
£5 FREE AT VERSUS!
No Deposit Needed
Get £5 completely free to use on a trade at VERSUS! No deposit. No card. Just enter your email address to get instant access to the offer.