Bundesliga: Can Gladbach Take Advantage of Shorthanded Stuttgart?

Borussia Monchengladbach vs VfB Stuttgart

It’s back to Bundesliga action for VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Monchengladbach as they’re set to face off at Borussia-Park on Sunday.

VfB Stuttgart still have a long way to go to consider themselves title contenders, given their huge gap with Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen (at least seven points). However, the fact that they’re in third place currently is a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

And Die Schwaben’s top four credentials will be put to the test by Borussia Monchengladbach, who have been in this position before. Right now, the Foals are struggling mightily since they are 12^th in the standings.

Despite the huge disparity between these two clubs, the pre-game Bundesliga 2024 odds expect a tight contest, so SBOTOP football fans should watch this match with great interest.

Talking Points

Gladbach to rally behind Lainer

Stefan Lainer had been out for the last few months after he was diagnosed with lymph node cancer. His absence since then has had a profound effect on the team.

Which is why, when he returned on the pitch against Go Ahead Eagles in a friendly during the winter break, Borussia Monchengladbach were inspired. In the 3-2 victory against the Dutch side, the 30-year-old full-back managed to tally an assist to Alassane Plea for the first goal of the contest.

The Foals need all the help they can get to improve their lacklustre defence, which has conceded 35 goals already, good for second-bottom in the Bundesliga right now.

And with centre-back Max Wober suspended after being sent off against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Bundesliga 2024 news about Stefan Lainer’s comeback couldn’t come soon enough for Borussia Monchengladbach.

Borussia Monchengladbach are fine, however, on the other side of the pitch. Alassane Plea and Tomas Cvancara are leading the way in this regard, having combined for 11 goals and three assists so far this season.

How will VfB Stuttgart cope without their strikers?

With Silas Katompa Mvumpa and Serhou Guirassy leaving for AFCON, VfB Stuttgart are going to be hard-pressed to find goals in the next few weeks.

Deniz Undav (nine goals and two assists) and Chris Fuhrich (five goals and five assists) are the obvious choices to fill in their shoes, but that may not be enough if they are to secure their top four spot this season.

With that said, head coach Sebastian Hoeneß faces the task of squeezing production out of the likes of Jeong Woo-Yeong and Enzo Millot, who just penned a new four-year deal with Die Schwaben, although their profiles couldn’t be any more different, with the former being a forward and the latter being a midfielder.

Jeong has come off the bench several times this season, and he’ll be aiming to finally open his account with VfB Stuttgart this year. As for Millot, he already has two goals and two assists under his belt, and he’ll be looking to add more.

History

Borussia Monchengladbach had lost the most home Bundesliga games against VfB Stuttgart (L15), although they have only lost once in their last eight such games (W4, D3).

The Foals defeated Die Schwaben in their most recent encounter in July, albeit in an exhibition match (5-1). Last season, these two teams split their meetings: a 3-1 win for Borussia Monchengladbach in November 2022 and a 2-1 win for VfB Stuttgart in April 2023.

17 points after 16 matchdays is the poorest run that the Foals have endured in the last seven years. In contrast, 34 points at this juncture is the second-best run that Die Schwaben has experienced in their history.

Another thing to note is the fact that Borussia Monchengladbach have lost six of their last seven home matches (W1) to start the calendar year, with their last victory coming in January 2012 (3-1 against Bayern Munich).

Betting Tip

VfB Stuttgart are favoured to win this match, although their margin for error is not as big as expected. Sebastian Hoeneß’ side is priced at 1.97, whereas Gerardo Seoane’s men are at 3.21, and a draw offers decent value at 3.55 in the 1X2 market.

Other than picking the visitors to win, there’s a huge chance that this can be another high-scoring contest, which has been a trend in their recent encounters.

So other than the previous bets mentioned, check out Over 3.25 at 2.08 and Total Goal 4-6 at 2.54, while Total Goal 2-3 at 2.11 is the more conservative bet.

If you chose the latter, then also check out Correct Score 2-1 in favour of VfB Stuttgart since it is on offer at 8.00.

 

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