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

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Stuttgart missed the opportunity to put daylight between themselves and Augsburg in the relegation play-off place last weekend, after sharing a goalless draw with basement club Greuther Fürth. That result will have disappointed coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, who will have seen that fixture as the perfect opportunity to start the New Year with a victory. There was a major positive in the form of Sasa Kalajdzic making only his second appearance - and first since Matchday 2 - of the campaign. Matarazzo will be desperate to reunite Kalajdzic with Silas Katompa Mvumpa but the latter remains unlikely to feature. That's one of a number of injury headaches and Africa Cup of Nations absences that the American tactician has, meaning his team is expected to remain the same from the draw at Greuther, although Konstantinos Mavropanos could return.

Nkunku started Matchday 18's victory over Mainz on the bench, with his half-time introduction sparking a dominant Leipzig performance in the second period. Die Roten Bullen had both a goal and a man advantage after Andre Silva's penalty and Alexander Hack's red card prior to Nkunku replacing Yussuf Poulsen at the break. By the end of the game they had a 4-1 victory in the bag, with the Frenchman scoring his eighth goal and laying on his sixth and seventh assists of the season. Poulsen would be most likely to be the man that makes way for Nkunku, a move that could see Domenico Tedesco pair his top-scorer alongside Dominik Szoboszlai behind in-form Silva in attack. Emil Forsberg could also return to the fold, while Dani Olmo is back in training, while eyes will be on 16-year-old Sidney Raebiger who became the club's youngest ever player last time out.

Match stats

Kalajdzic is chasing his first Bundesliga goal since the penultimate weekend of last season.

Thirteen different players have scored for Stuttgart so far this term, with Mavropanos leading the way on four goals.

Matarazzo takes charge of his 75th competitive match as Stuttgart head coach (W27, D18, L29). He is the longest-serving American coach in Bundesliga history (52 games).

Nkunku has scored eight and assisted seven across Leipzig's 18 Bundesliga games in 2021/22.

Szoboszlai scored his first two of four Bundesliga goals to date in the reverse fixture. He also has five assists, little over halfway into his first full campaign in the German top flight.

Leipzig have never lost to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga (W6, D1).

Probable line-ups

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

Out: Faghir (match fitness), Marmoush (Africa Cup of Nations), Sankoh (knee), Silas (head), Thommy (match fitness)

Doubtful: Ahamada (not included)

Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo

Leipzig: Gulacsi (c) - Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol - Klostermann, Adams, Kampl, Angelino - Nkunku, Szoboszlai - Silva

Out: Haidara (Africa Cup of Nations), Halstenberg (thigh), Moriba (Africa Cup of Nations), Mukiele (not included)

Doubtful: Forsberg (thigh)

Coach: Domenico Tedesco