Stuttgart vs Bochum Preview: Team News & Prediction
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After overperforming at the top end of last season, Stuttgart have had to deal with some departures over the summer down to the middle-of-the-table ahead of facing relegation-threatened Bochum this weekend.
Kick-off date/time: Saturday 23rd November, 2024: UK – 2:30pm / US ET – 9:30am / US PT – 6:30am
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
Stuttgart Preview: Frustrated Stuttgart
It has been a bizarre few years for Stuttgart. Sebastian Hoeness took charge of them badly struggling in the 2022/23 campaign before they eventually survived the drop in the end of season promotion/relegation playoff. That was followed by a remarkable season in which they finished as Bundesliga runners’ up last season.
After the departures of the likes of Hiroki Ito, Waldemar Anton and Serhou Guirassy over the summer, Stuttgart have struggled in relative terms this season, sitting 11th ahead of the tenth match day of the campaign. They were most recently beaten 3-2 by Eintracht Frankfurt a couple of weeks ago to make it three wins in nine matches across all competitions.
Bochum Preview: Poor Bochum
Last season, Bochum narrowly avoided relegation back down to the second-tier by defeating Hamburg in the end of season promotion/relegation playoff after losing the first-leg but managing to survive via a penalty shootout. This time around they will be quite content with finishing third-from-bottom after a very tough start to the campaign.
After ten matches of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, Bochum have collected just two points and sit rock-bottom, six points beneath St Pauli in the relegation playoff place and seven adrift of safety. They did manage a shock 1-1 draw with defending champions Bayer Leverkusen in their most recent outing a couple of weeks ago.
Stuttgart Team News: No Undav
Germany international attacker Deniz Undav missed the November international break due to injury and he is still dealing with a hamstring issue for this one.
As well as the absence Undav, defender Dan-Axel Zagadou is sidelined through injury alongside other key men such as Enzo Millot and Jamie Leweling.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Neubel; Vagnoman, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Keitel; Rieder, Toure, Fuhrich; Demirovic
Unavailable: Zagadou (Injured), Raimund (Injured), Chase (Injured), Stiller (Injured), Millot (Injured), Leweling (Injured), Undav (Injured)
Questionable:
Bochum Team News: Key injuries
Bochum may want to rotate a few of their starting eleven this weekend as they continue to struggle down at the bottom end of the Bundesliga table.
Former Birmingham City winger Koji Miyoshi is missing for this one as well as one-time wonderkid Myron Boadu and key men such as Bernardo and Lukas Daschner.
Predicted XI (5-4-1): Drewes; Passlack, Oermann, Medic, Wittek, Holtmann; Bero, Losilla, Sissoko, Broschinski; Hofmann
Unavailable: Bernardo (Injured), Daschner (Injured), Miyoshi (Injured), Boadu (Injured)
Questionable:
Stuttgart vs Bochum Prediction
Stuttgart being in the middle-of-the-table is already a more than reasonable position for them to be in, even with their lack of efficiency and consistency that they displayed last season. They now face a Bochum side that were lucky to escape the drop last year and it would take something nigh on a miracle for them to do the same this time around. As a result, especially with their home advantage, a convincing Stuttgart victory is to be expected this weekend.
Stuttgart vs Bochum Tip: Stuttgart to win