Stuttgart play host to Bochum at the MHP Arena in round 11 of the German Bundesliga on Saturday. Dieter Hecking’s men head into the weekend as the only side yet to taste victory in the league this season and will be desperate to get their season up and running.
Stuttgart were condemned to consecutive defeats for the first time since August as they were beaten 3-2 by Eintracht Frankfurt in their final outing before the international break.
Before that, Sebastian HoeneB’s side saw their four-game unbeaten run come to an end on November 6, when they fell to a 2-0 loss against Italian outfit Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League.
Stuttgart have lost three of their 10 Bundesliga matches so far while claiming three wins and four draws to collect 13 points and sit 11th in the table, level on points with 10th-placed Mainz.
Bochum, on the other hand, were in action during the break as they picked up a 2-0 friendly victory over Dutch outfit Den Bosch at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion last Thursday.
Hecking will hope the friendly win can serve as a springboard for a turnaround in the Bundesliga, where they have failed to win their 10 matches so far and sit rock-bottom in the table.
Bochum’s horror start to the campaign has been due to their defensive vulnerability as they have shipped a staggering 30 goals already — five more than any other side in the division.
While Stuttgart have struggled to get going of late, they have been rock-solid at home this year and will be backing themselves to bounce back on Saturday.
Bochum are yet to hit their stride this season and we see them struggling at the MHP Arena once again.
Prediction: Stuttgart 2-0 Bochum
Tip 1: Result - Stuttgart to win
Tip 2: Over 4.5 cards - No (There have been fewer than five bookings in Bochum’s last eight matches)
Tip 3: Over 10.5 corners - No (There have also been fewer than 11 corner kicks in four of the visitors’ last five games)