Stuttgart, who currently sit in the bottom spot in the Bundesliga, hosts the 14th placed club, Hertha BSC at the Mercedes-Benz-Arena this afternoon.
Die Roten have not had a very good season to say the least. Even with a coaching chance, Huub Stevens has not been able to turn around the hosts bad fortunes. Although their fixture list has not been kind in recent weeks, they have played in some close losses, drawing two out of their last five; the other three have been losses.
In two of the three losses, they lost by just one goal, and in the loss to Bayern Munich four league matches ago, Stuttgart lost by 2 goals, a respectable defeat in hindsight. Stevens’ squad also possess one of the worst goal differences in the league as his side has allowed a whopping 41 goals in while scoring just 24. The backline will have to remain focus and compact throughout the entire minutes because Hertha looked good in their last match and will be brimming with confidence.
As just mentioned, Hertha BSC came away with all three points in their last match as they defeated Augsburg. It took the blue and whites 88 minutes to find the back of the net, but once Salomon Kalou was able to get that golden goal, the Olympiastadion crowd into great euphoria. That goal from the Ivorian striker could have possibly saved their season.
But the job is not yet done. Pal Dardai will have to continue to be able to motivate his side week in and week out. Hertha also have one of the more terrible goal differentials, but they have been getting better in that department as of late. Their upcoming matches are doable and they certainly have what it takes to win at least three of their next five matches, which will be a huge boost to Hertha.
Do not expect this match to have a whole lot of quality going forward. The chances, throughout the 90, will be few and far between. One counterattack from either side could be the difference in this match. In conclusion, this match should be low scoring and not the best of adverts for the Bundesliga.