Stuttgart vs Heidenheim

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Stuttgart will continue their quest for Champions League qualification as they host Heidenheim at the Mercedes-Benz Arena this Sunday.

Under the leadership of Sebastian Hoeness, the team is on track for a comfortable top-four finish, a remarkable turnaround from narrowly avoiding relegation just a year ago, securing their spot through a playoff against Hamburg.

Despite a shaky start to 2024 with two initial losses, Stuttgart has been dominant in the Bundesliga, securing an impressive 22 points out of 24 available in recent matches.

Their upcoming game presents an opportunity for Stuttgart to extend their unbeaten streak in the league to nine matches, a feat they haven't achieved in over a decade. Their recent 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim away from home further showcased their strength, marking consecutive Bundesliga clean sheets for the first time since their promotion to the top flight in 2020.

Considering their mere 33-point tally last season and the close call with relegation, their current total of 56 points is quite remarkable. Positioned third in the standings, Stuttgart holds a comfortable seven-point lead over RB Leipzig in fifth place. Moreover, there's a chance that all top five teams could secure Champions League berths due to the coefficient.

However, their upcoming opponents, Heidenheim, have already defeated Stuttgart this season with a 2-0 victory in the previous encounter back in November.

Following their recent success, Heidenheim embarked on an unbeaten streak of eight games spanning from December to February, quickly dispelling any concerns of an immediate relegation back to the 2. Bundesliga.

However, since the conclusion of that impressive run, Heidenheim's performance has faltered, earning just two points from five matches. They suffered defeats against Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Augsburg.

Their recent match against Borussia Monchengladbach saw them narrowly avoid a fourth defeat in five games, thanks to Eren Dinkci's second-half equalizer salvaging a point.

Despite this downturn in form, Heidenheim's position in the league table is relatively secure, with the Bundesliga newcomers maintaining a comfortable 10-point lead over the relegation zone heading into the upcoming weekend fixtures.

Stuttgart's recent impressive form has been partly attributed to the return of Serhou Guirassy from injury. Guirassy, the club's leading scorer, has scored five goals in five matches, bringing his total in the league to 22 for the season.

However, Stuttgart still faces challenges with several key players unavailable due to injuries. Nikolas Nartey, Dan-Axel Zagadou, and Anthony Rouault are among those sidelined.

Additionally, Atakan Karazor, Enzo Millot, and Fabian Bredlow have been dealing with illnesses during the break, but there's hope they could make a comeback for this weekend's game.

On the opposing side, Heidenheim will miss Jan-Niklas Beste, a significant attacking player, due to a groin injury. Beste has been involved in 15 league goals during his debut top-flight season and may join Thomas Keller and Elidon Qenaj on the injury list.

Furthermore, Lennard Maloney (knee) and Adrian Beck (ankle) are uncertain for the upcoming match, with a decision on their availability likely to be made closer to the game.