Bundesliga: Stuttgart’s Cinderella Run Finished?

VfB Stuttgart vs FC Augsburg

Sebastian Hoeneß has taken Stuttgart to incredible heights this Bundesliga season. After barely dodging relegation, they’ve become a consistent title contender this campaign alongside Alonso’s Leverkusen, defending champions Bayern Munich, and RB Leipzig, who have been one of the hottest teams in the German top flight.

As the wise say, all good things must come to an end. But not if you’re Guirassy and the Swabians, that is. Despite falling short against Leverkusen and Bayern, Stuttgart are poised to bounce back as they face off against a middle-of-the-pack team in Augsburg.

Before hoping for Guirassy, Silas, and Undav to have their revenge game after failing to score against the Bavarians, make sure to read below for an in-depth preview of this thrilling Bundesliga clash.

Talking Points

Stuttgart poised for a comeback

The Swabians had a tough slate in previous weeks, having to face off against Werder, Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Bayern to start their December slate. The brilliance of Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav kept Stuttgart’s reverence in the Bundesliga despite the team’s pedestrian performances against Die Werkself and the Bavarians.

After dodging relegation last season, Stuttgart have been making strides in the league this year. But their Cinderella run came to an abrupt stop after facing off against the two best clubs in the German top flight.

They managed to tally a draw against Xabi Alonso’s poised squad, but Leverkusen quickly answered back during their next game with a demanding 3-0 victory against Frankfurt and keep their lead to four points from second-placed Bayern Munich. Sebastian Hoeneß’s boys, on the other hand, failed to bounce back from their draw against Leverkusen; instead, they suffered a humbling 3-0 Bavarian backlash at Alllianz Arena.

It was the usual suspects for Bayern, as Harry Kane scored two goals to shut the door on the visiting squad, while Kim Min-jae sealed the deal in minute 63 to score their third goal against a helpless Stuttgart defence.

Delivering a pair of goals, Harry Kane extends his lead in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race with a total of 20 goals, four goals ahead of Stuttgart’s Guirassy.

With this loss, Stuttgart remain with 31 points after Matchday 15, forcing them to give up the third seed to RB Leipzig, who have found a bounce to their step, winning four of their last five Bundesliga matches.

Augsburg brace a tough schedule

Like Stuttgart, Jess Thorup’s squad also lost and tallied a draw in their past two games. And unfortunately for them, their upcoming schedule won’t be a walk in the park either. Augsburg’s upcoming schedule may be one of the most difficult stretches they will have this season, as they face Stuttgart, Leverkusen, Gladbach, Bayern, Bochum, and RB Leipzig.

They would need a herculean effort from their captain, Ermedin Demirovic, if Augsburg would like to maintain their midfield reputation in a top-heavy league like the Bundesliga.

Demirovic started their rough schedule on a high note when he delivered an opening goal against Edin Terzić’s Dortmund. Augsburg are more than happy to get a point off of their match against a stacked team like Dortmund, and they’re hoping to bring this momentum when they march to MHPArena to face off against an extinguished Stuttgart.

“today was the best chance for us to see where we stand against the better teams… we’ve done well.” Augsburg boss Jess Thorup stated.

After their draw against BVB, Thorup and his team find themselves in the tenth spot in the league standings and are just a point behind ninth-placed Wolfsburg. A few favourable Bundesliga 2023 results can and should propel them to the upper echelon of the league, but it would be a tall task for Thorup’s boys considering their unforgiving schedule.

History

Augsburg and Stuttgart have historically been neck and neck in their head-to-heads. In their past 23 matches against each other, both teams have won 10 games apiece while tallying a draw three times.

In those 23 matches, these German rivals have scored 67 total goals, with the boys from Augsburg producing the majority with 38, while the Swabians have managed to score a respectable 29 goals.

Their biggest aggregate came in a Bundesliga clash back in 2019, where Augsburg hosted and dominated Stuttgart with a 6-0 clean sheet victory at Augsburg Arena. The home team scored three goals in the first half and were able to mimic their performance into the second half without conceding a single goal.

In recent form, the Swabians remain one of the top clubs in the Bundesliga despite falling short in their last top-flight matches. They’re sitting nicely in fourth place and are five points clear of fifth-placed Dortmund, who have won just one match in their last five.

Meanwhile, Augsburg have been able to tally just 18 points after 15 games. Despite their tepid season, they’ve managed to stay in the midfield by losing just one match in their last five Bundesliga competitions.

Betting Tip

Despite the brilliance of Serhou Guirassy this season, the even line for total goals in the Bundesliga 2023 odds is under 3.25 at 1.85, which is fair in my personal opinion. Stuttgart have only scored one goal in their last two Bundesliga matches, and it could be because of this why the lines are priced as they are.

As for the 1X2 lines, the home team, being the better seeded side, are the heavy favourites at 1.35, while the visiting Augsburg are the underdogs at 6.40 and 4.89 to draw. Once again, SBOTOP has hit the nail on the head with this game. Despite fumbling their last two games against Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, Hoeneß’s boys are primed for a strong finish to end their year as they face a midfield team in Augsburg.

 

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