Greuther Fürth vs. VfB Stuttgart: probable line-ups, match stats and LIVE blog!

Latest

Fürth ended 2021 with cause for optimism after collecting four points from their last three games of the year, a 1-0 triumph over Union Berlin and a goalless draw at home to Augsburg sandwiching a perhaps unflattering 3-0 defeat in Dortmund. The Clover Leaves need to carry that momentum - and memories of two clean sheets in their last two home assignments - into this fixture if they are to have any realistic chance of escaping the clutches of relegation this term. Stefan Leitl's side are bottom of the table, 12 points behind 16th-placed Stuttgart and 13 adrift of outright safety, but they are buoyed here by the return of defensive rock Nick Viergever, although he may have to settle for a place on the bench after recovering from injury. Captain and four-goal leading marksman Branimir Hrgota will lead the line at the other end of the pitch, with the improving Timothy Tillman set to keep his place in attacking midfield ahead of Julian Green.

Stuttgart have struggled to hit the heights they reached last season so far in 2021/22, winning just four times before the winter break and losing their last two games of the year. That has in large part been due to long-term injuries to key players, but the return of Sasa Kalajdzic - scorer of 16 goals last term - to training in recent days will give them a boost up front, especially with Omar Marmoush unavailable due to his commitments with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations and Silas also unavailable. Pellegrino Matarazzo is hopeful the big Austrian striker may manage an hour, but is unsure of the fitness of Mavropanos after the Greek defender didn't train all week. His side have taken maximum points just once on the road thus far will view this fixture as a must-win game if they are to begin clawing their way up the table and out of danger.

Watch: Mavropanos in focus

Match stats

With four goals and three assists, skipper Hrgota has been directly involved in seven of Fürth's 13 goals (53.8 per cent) in 2021/22.

Sascha Burchert played in nine of Fürth's 17 games before the winter break, with the team earning all five of their points this season with him in goal.

Fürth have only won one game this term, beating Union Berlin 1-0 on Matchday 15. It is also their sole victory at home in their one-and-a-half-season Bundesliga history.

Mavropanos is VfB's leading scorer with four goals - a joint league high for a defender alongside Freiburg's Philipp Lienhart.

Stuttgart have only won one of eight away matches in 2021/22, drawing five and losing four.

The respective home side has won on each of the last five occasions these sides have met (three Stuttgart victories, two for Fürth).

Probable line-ups

Fürth: Burchert - Meyerhöfer, Griesbeck, Bauer, Willems - Seguin, Christiansen, Tillman - Nielsen - Leweling, Hrgota (c)

Out: Barry (thigh), Funk (knee), Hoogma (not included), Kehr (knee), Ngankam (knee)

Doubtful: Viergever (ankle)

Coach: Stefan Leitl

Stuttgart: Müller - Anton, Ito, Kempf - Massimo, Endo (c), Mangala, Sosa - Förster - Führich, Kalajdzic

Out: Ahamada (not included), Faghir (not included), Klimowicz (not included), Marmoush (Africa Cup of Nations), Sankoh (knee), Silas (not included), Thommy (match fitness)

Doubtful: Karazor (foot), Mavropanos (match fitness)

Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo