Hoeneß and Alonso in the Spotlight for This Bundesliga Clash

VfB Stuttgart vs Bayer Leverkusen

Most of the time, it’s the players who are the catalyst for the team’s success, but in some cases, the managers serve as the man at the helm and the tip of the spear at the same time. This Bundesliga showdown is the epitome of how managers are able to unlock their club’s untapped potential.

Stuttgart are still one of the most in-form clubs despite suffering back-to-back losses a few Matchdays ago. With the brilliance of Guirassy, Undaz, and head coach Sebastian Hoeneß, Die Roten quickly turned their streak around and hung on to the third spot in the standings.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen remain the top club in the Bundesliga after demolishing every opponent that comes their way. Bayern Munich are breathing down their necks, trailing just three points behind. But Leverkusen show no signs of panic, as Xabi Alonso runs a tight ship and continues to guide his team to the Meisterschale.

Talking Points

The Guirassy-Undaz combo is a sight to behold

Die Roten have been on a meteoric rise this season, making waves and shifting the Bundesliga landscape. After hanging on by a thread in the top flight last season, Stuttgart are now one of the most inspired clubs in the whole of Germany.

Their success has been synonymous with the emergence of Serhou Guirassy, who has already scored 16 goals after 13 matches and is just two goals shy of Harry Kane, who leads the league in goals with 18.

With Guirassy’s brilliance and a stellar system philosophized by Sebastian Hoeneß, Die Roten have become one of the most feared clubs in the top flight.

Now, the already formidable squad has another canon at their disposal, as they signed Deniz Undaz this summer on loan from Brighton. Due to an injury, Undav missed the first couple of games but was quick to bounce back when made available.

Both Guirassy and Undaz have shined and showcased their goal-getting prowess, but never at the same time. That recently changed, thanks to Hoeneß’s adjustment to their formation.

Riding with a 4-2-3-1 formation, Hoeneß decided to go with a 2-4-4 formation going into their Matchday 13 clash against Werder. Lo and behold, Hoeneß’s brilliant adjustment immediately paid dividends, as Die Roten humbled Werder with a 2-0 clean sheet victory over Werder, with Deniz Undav and Serhou Guirassy scoring for Stuttgart.

They repeated their success in their next match in the DFB-Pokal, where Hoeneß once again placed Guirassy and Undav side by side and again came out as the victors. Expect more of the same from Stuttgart when they face Leverkusen.

Xabi Alonso firm on his place in Leverkusen

Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso gives his team a morale boost after comforting statements regarding his future with the club. One of the juiciest Bundesliga 2023 news stories floating around the league is Real Madrid eyeing Alonso to be the successor to Carlo Ancelotti as the head honcho for the Los Blancos.

Due to their success in the German top flight, it’s understandable why Xabi Alonso would be more than hesitant to depart from Leverkusen. Despite Real Madrid being a favaourable destination for the Spaniard and the release clause of his Bayer Leverkusen contract, Alonso quickly extinguished any rumor that may spark a controversy, at least for now.

“These are contract issues. I am very connected and very comfortable here.” Alonso stated in an interview.

Amidst these off-the-field dramas, Leverkusen are still the top team in the Bundesliga with 35 points, three whole points above second-place Bayern and five points ahead of VfB Stuttgart. They failed to extend their win streak as they tallied a draw against Dortmund during the last Matchday, but they’re poised to get back to their winning ways in no time.

History

Due to Stuttgart missing a couple of years in the Bundesliga due to relegation, these clubs have just 37 head-to-heads under their belt. In those 37 matches, Bayer Leverkusen have bagged the majority of the wins with 24, while Stuttgart won six and drawn seven times.

But even though they only met each other on the pitch a modest number of times, both clubs have managed to find the back of the net a total of 120 times, with Leverkusen scoring the majority of the goals with 78 while Stuttgart scored 42.

In their last head-to-head in the Bundesliga, both clubs battled tooth and nail, being competitive all throughout the match that ended in a 1-1 draw. However, before their recent 1-1 draw, Leverkusen have ruled the roost over Die Roten, having won four of their last five head-to-heads.

Betting Tip

Given their dominance in the German top flight, the SBOTOP Bundesliga 2023 odds have this game with no clear favourites. Stuttgart are the slight underdogs at 2.68 to win, while Bayer Leverkusen are priced at 2.29 and 3.41 to draw.

It makes sense that the teams are priced where they’re at, given that both teams are having such a terrific campaign. But personally, I would still pick Leverkusen to come out as the victors based on just how dominant they have been in the Bundesliga, acquiring 35 points after 13 games and remaining undefeated this season. To have the current best team in Germany at 2.29 to win holds tremendous value that punters will surely take note of.

Another line to consider is Asian Handicap Bayer Leverkusen, -0.25 at 2.02. Due to Leverkusen’s superiority over Stuttgart in their past head-to-heads, one can’t argue that Leverkusen being handicapped at -0.25 isn’t at all a lofty ask for Xabi Alonso’s squad. And with the price at 2.02, it holds both value and excitement, which would be very enticing for all kinds of punters.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.