With the positioning in the Bundesliga tighter than ever during this campaign, every game is key. However, as Josef Zinnbauer's Hamburger SV prepare to host bottom-placed side VfB Stuttgart at the Imtech Arena on Tuesday, this one feels like an important clash for both sides.
Zinnbauer's Hamburg sit 14th, and are just two points above the relegation zone. Last weekend saw Zinnbauer's side travel to Freiburg, picking up a point in a 0-0 draw with their fellow Bundesliga strugglers. In a disappointingly dull game, Hamburg were perhaps lucky to escape with a draw, after Freiburg's Vladamir Darida's poor penalty was saved by Jaroslav Drobny. Hamburg fans will want to see more from their side as they host the team currently propping up the Bundesliga table.
For Stuttgart and managers Huub Stevens and Armin Veh, it has been a disappointing campaign so far, as their side sit bottom of the Bundesliga table. After scoring just 19 goals and shipping 32 in response, Stuttgart find themselves with just 13 points from 15 games. They are, however, just a single point adrift of climbing out of the relegation zone, and with everything so tight at the bottom, a positive run of results could see their situation quickly improve.
Last weekend a 1-1 draw with Mainz 05 - who sit 12th in the table but are just a mere four points in front of Stuttgart - earned a hard-fought point. Mainz rued their missed chances to take all three points, but their opener was cancelled out 18 minutes from time after a huge mix-up at the back. Some miscommunication between the goalkeeper and defender Nikolče Noveski saw the ball trickle into the net. A huge slice of luck perhaps - but Stuttgart will take it. Stuttgart fans will be hoping their side can impress away at Hamburg on Tuesday night as they look to get off the bottom of the Bundesliga table.