Survival and Europe at stake as Stuttgart face Mainz

After slipping into the relegation zone last week, VfB Stuttgart need to improve on their poor run of form at home when European hopefuls 1. FSV Mainz 05 come to town on Saturday (kick-off:15:30CEST/13:30GMT).

A 6-2 defeat at SV Werder Bremen on Monday night saw Stuttgart tumble into an automatic relegation spot. With their direct rivals in an incredibly tight four-way battle to avoid the drop all facing tough fixtures, the Swabians could potentially be the big winners at the bottom on Matchday 33.

Opponents Mainz are still very much in the hunt for European qualification, but are currently on their worst-ever run of form under Martin Schmidt. Either way, this fixture promises to have real ramifications at both ends of the table.

RECOMMENDED SURE BET:

 SOCCER PREDICTIONS FOR WEDNESDAY 04-05-2016

 Austria » Regionalliga Central 2015/2016:

 Allerheiligen – Kalsdorf                                              2win                                    

 Florian - Sturm Graz (Am)                           over1 GOALS

 Austria » Regionalliga West 2015/2016:

 Salzburg (Am) – Wattens                            2win                                    

 Altach (Am) – Schwaz                   1win(BANKER GAME)                                  

 Kufstein – Reichenau                   1win(BANKER GAME)                                                                   

Kitzbuhel – Johann                        over1 GOALS                                                                   

 Eugendorf - Saalfelden                                1win(BANKER GAME)

 Azerbaijan » Azerbaijan Cup 2015/2016:

 Qarabag - Inter Baku                     1win(BANKER GAME)

 Belarus » Belarusian Cup 2015/2016:

 FC Minsk – Zhodino                       1win(BANKER GAME)                                  

 BATE - Naftan                   1win(BANKER GAME)

 Czech Republic » MOL Cup 2015/2016:

 Sparta Prague - Jablonec             1win(BANKER GAME)

 Europe » Champions League 2015/2016:

 Real Madrid - Manchester City                 1win(BANKER GAME)

 

Matchday 16 rewind: Mainz 0-0 Stuttgart

Goals: -
Mainz's five-game winning streak came to an end after they were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Jürgen Kramny's improving Stuttgart.

Matchday 33 - match stats

• Stuttgart have already suffered a nine defeats this season. A tenth would represent an unwanted club record.
• Mainz have only won one of their eight matches since beating FC Bayern München at the Allianz Arena.
• The 05ers are without a win in four matches for the first time under Martin Schmidt (two draws, two defeats).
• Without having to rely on results elsewhere, Mainz need two more points to be sure of a European finish.
• FC Ingolstadt 04 and 1. FC Köln could still overtake Mainz in the standings.
• Kramny represented Mainz as a player, coached the Under-19s and was co-coach alongside Jörn Andersen when the club gained promotion to the Bundesliga in 2009.
• Stuttgart have lost their last three matches at home. A fourth on the spin would be another negative club record.
• The match is set to be Daniel Didavi's final home game in a Stuttgart shirt ahead of his summer move to VfL Wolfsburg.
• Stuttgart's last two home games were sell-outs. A third successive capacity crowd would be a club first.

Possible line-ups

Stuttgart: To follow.
Absentees:
Coach: Jürgen Kramny
Mainz: To follow.
Absentees:
Coach: Martin Schmidt

History

 

CREDIT TO:http://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/blmd33v-vfb-stuttgart-1-fsv-mainz-05-match-preview-bundesliga.jsp