Matchday in focus: VfB Stuttgart

Eintracht Frankfurt

·12 April 2024

Matchday in focus: VfB Stuttgart

VfB are enjoying a record-breaking season, with Guirassy and Undav providing the goals, Führich and Mittelstädt working the left wing and the defence racking up clean sheets.

Tactics

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Sebastian Hoeneß’s third-placed side are unbeaten in their last 10 Bundesliga games. VfB, who have the youngest average age in the league this season (23.8 years), have impressed this term with both flair in attack and a solid defence that has conceded the fourth-fewest goals in the German top flight. In terms of tactics, Hoeneß normally deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation.

In the last international break, the Swabian club had four players called up to the Germany squad for the friendlies against France and the Netherlands in Chris Führich, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Waldemar Anton and Deniz Undav – the most in the league.

Absentees

For Eintracht, Tuta and Junior Dina Ebimbe are both suspended, while Ellyes Skhiri, Sebastian Rode and Sasa Kalajdzic are unavailable due to injury.

The hosts are without Josha Vagnoman, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Anthony Rouault and Niko Nartey (all injured). Goalkeeper Alexander Nübel is a doubt with a muscular problem.

One to watch: Maximilian Mittelstädt

Newly capped Germany international Mittelstädt joined VfB from Hertha BSC last summer and has become an indispensable player for Hoeneß’s team.

The 27-year-old has won 60.2 percent of his tackles this season and made 41 interceptions.
The left-back has also made an impact in attack, scoring two goals and setting up four. His last assist came in the 3-3 draw against Heidenheim on Matchday 27.
Mittelstädt began his rise through the Hertha youth ranks in 2012 before breaking into the first team, making over 150 appearances in all competitions for the Berlin club prior to joining Stuttgart.
Mittelstädt made his senior Germany debut just a few weeks ago, on 23 March, in the friendly against France. Three days later, he was on the scoresheet for Julian Nagelsmann’s team in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.

Runs and statistics

Stuttgart are without a win in their last five home matches against Eintracht and have lost the last three. VfB are only on a longer losing run at home against Bayern.

Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy has scored the opening goal on nine occasions this season, more often than anyone in the Bundesliga.