Stuttgart will hope to start 2025 with a victory and get back to winning ways on Sunday when they travel to WWK Arena to take on Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
The hosts are sixth last in 13th place with 16 points after 15 matchweeks and lost 5-1 against Holstein Kiel on December 21, whereas Stuttgart were beaten 1-0 by St Pauli on the same date and are 10th with 23 points.
Match preview
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Augsburg took the lead against Holstein Kiel after just five minutes, but experienced a first-half collapse, conceding four goals from four shots on target.
Head coach Jess Thorup challenged his players to show a reaction on the weekend to the defeat, saying: "We need to show the FC Augsburg DNA on the pitch – passion, strength, and commitment. If we can do that, then we're on our way to picking up points."
Thorup's team have only scored 17 times in the Bundesliga, and this is the fourth worst tally in the entire league, while their record of 32 goals conceded is also the fourth worst return.
The Fuggerstadter are winless in their last three games – losing their two most recent matches – and have in fact lost three, drawn three and won just one of their past seven Bundesliga outings.
It should be noted that Augsburg's form at home is impressive considering they have triumphed in five, drawn two and only been defeated in two of their nine games at WWK Arena this term.
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As for Stuttgart, while they may feel they should have found the back of the net against St Pauli given they created four big chances, they were perhaps fortunate to have only conceded once given they faced five big chances.
Manager Sebastian Hoeness was critical of his side's finishing in the final third, telling reporters: "It hurts to end the year with a defeat. We had our moments and chances, but just didn't manage to score. That's something we have to be self-critical about today."
Die Roten found the back of the net on 78 occasions last term in the league, but are currently on track to score just 65 times.
To Hoeness's side's credit, while they lost last time out they did emerge victorious in their previous four fixtures by a cumulative score of 14-4.
The visitors have also only been beaten once in their six most recent outings on the road, winning three and drawing two in that period.
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Team News
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The hosts will be unable to select defenders Keven Schlotterbeck and Mads Valentin Pedersen until late January, and this could mean that Augsburg field a back three consisting of Maximilian Bauer, Dimitrios Gouweleeuw and Chrislain Matsima.
Kristijan Jakic is likely to be partnered by Frank Onyeka and Elvis Rexhbecaj in midfield due to Masaya Okugawa and Yusuf Kabadayi's respective injuries.
Alexis Claude-Maurice scored in his side's last match, and he could start alongside striker Phillip Tietz in a front two.
Stuttgart will be unable to select centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou until early February, so expect Anthony Rouault and Julian Chabot to be stationed in front of goalkeeper Alexander Nubel.
Nick Woltemade and Ermedin Demirovic may be trusted to lead the visitors' attack given forwards El Bilal Toure and Justin Diehl have been ruled out.
In midfield, Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller started together in their team's most recent victory – a 3-1 win against Heidenheim on December 15 – and could play together on Sunday.
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Labrovic; Bauer, Gouweleeuw, Matsima; Wolf, Onyeka, Jakic, Rexhbecaj, Giannoulis; Claude-Maurice, Tietz
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Vagnoman, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Millot, Karazor, Stiller, Fuhrich; Woltemade, Demirovic
We say: Augsburg 1-2 Stuttgart
Augsburg are unlikely to be easy to overcome considering their strong home form, and it would not be surprising if they scored.
Having said that, Stuttgart should be seen as favourites given their away record is strong and they created numerous opportunities against St Pauli despite their defeat.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
