Preview: Stuttgart vs. Bayer Leverkusen - prediction, team news, lineups

Leverkusen, meanwhile, may be distracted given that this fixture is sandwiched by their Europa League semi-final tie against Roma.

Match preview

Having remained unbeaten across his first five matches in charge after being appointed last month, Sebastian Hoeness is facing his first tricky in period at Stuttgart after losing two crucial matches.

Die Schwabe were disappointingly dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by Eintracht Frankfurt at the semi-final stage, with the visitors turning the match on its head with three second half strikes from Evan Ndicka, Daichi Kamada and Randal Kolo Muani.

More surprisingly, Stuttgart were defeated by an out of form Hertha Berlin side in a crucial relegation encounter last weekend, which saw their opponents move within three points of them from the foot of the table.

Hoeness's side still have every chance of escaping relegation - certainly automatically - as they know three victories from their final three games would guarantee finishing in the relegation play-off position as a worst case scenario.

Ordinarily, Leverkusen would travel to their relegation-threatened opponents as clear favourites to escape with all three points, but Xabi Alonso's side may well have their eyes on their second leg against Roma next Thursday.

Indeed, Die Werkself were defeated 1-0 by Jose Mourinho's side at Stadio Olimpico on Thursday evening, with Edoardo Bove's strike three minutes after the hour mark settling a scrappy affair and leaving the tie wide open.

While Leverkusen will be keen to hold off the threat of the likes of Wolfsburg, Mainz 05 and Frankfurt behind them in the table and ensure they have European football to compete in next season regardless of how they fare during the latter stages of the Europa League, Alonso will be desperate to lift silverware in his first season as a manager at the elite level of football.

Their 2-1 defeat at home to FC Koln last weekend was a clear sign that Leverkusen may be checking out of the Bundesliga campaign to some extent, but with the individual quality at their disposal, they are still capable of winning any game.

Stuttgart Bundesliga form:

L

W

D

D

W

L

Stuttgart form (all competitions):

W

D

D

W

L

L

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

W

W

D

W

D

L

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

D

W

W

D

L

L

Team News

Stuttgart will remain without Konstantinos Mavropanos and Thomas Kastanaras for the rest of the season due to shin and ankle injuries respectively.

Hoeness may be tempted to restore Silas to his starting XI after only utilising the talented attacker from the bench during their defeat to Hertha last time out, but otherwise he is unlikely to make many alterations to a relatively settled unit.

Alonso, on the other hand, is likely to make a raft of changes ahead of Thursday's second leg against Roma at the BayArena.

Robert Andrich appeared to suffer a serious leg injury in the Italian capital and faces a race against time to be fit again this season, so Kerem Demirbay will almost certainly start in the visitors' engine room.

Likewise, Mitchel Bakker, Sardar Azmoun, Nadiem Amiri, Amine Adli, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timothy Fosu-Mensah may all be handed opportunities to impress their manager.

Odilon Kossounou, Karim Bellarabi, Patrik Schick, Andrey Lunev and Charles Aranguiz are all expected to remain sidelined, though, with Jeremie Frimpong unlikely to be risked due to a minor knock.

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:

Bredlow; Anton, Zagadou, Ito; Vagnoman, Endo, Haraguchi, Sosa; Silas, Tomas; Guirassy

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Hradecky; Fosu-Mensah, Tah, Tapsoba; Hudson-Odoi, Palacios, Demirbay, Bakker; Amiri, Adli; Armoun

We say: Stuttgart 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Stuttgart could be facing Leverkusen at the absolute perfect moment in the campaign, with the visitors almost certainly set to make several changes ahead of one of their biggest games of the season against Roma.

The visitors will have plenty of players keen to impress their manager, of course, but the hosts' desperation for all three points should help them towards a crucial victory.

Previews by email