Saturday night entertainment in the Bundesliga comes from the MHPArena as Stuttgart welcome a high-flying Werder Bremen side.

While the hosts look to bounce back from a disappointing Champions League defeat, the visitors will have their sights set on extending their unbeaten league run to eight games.

Match preview

Stuttgart’s inconsistent start to the season continued on Tuesday night when Sebastian Hoeness and his men suffered a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray.

That was the third defeat in six games for the Swabians, who also tripped up against Hamburger SV and Borussia Monchengladbach - results which leave them 11th in the Bundesliga, with nine points from eight matches.

The majority of Stuttgart’s recent fixtures have come on the road, but their home form has offered little encouragement either, with the club failing to record a victory on their own turf since early September.

In reality, Stuttgart were never in the title conversation at the start of the season, though mounting successes over recent seasons have certainly lifted expectations.

However, with the Swabians sitting just two points above the relegation zone and nine adrift of the top two, pressure is beginning to mount on Hoeness and his players.

Trouble is, Stuttgart have only managed one win from five previous meetings with Werder Bremen. That sole success came last season, when the Swabians swept their rivals aside in a 4-0 success. 

Unbeaten in seven Bundesliga games and chasing a third successive league victory, Werder Bremen are undoubtedly the form team heading into Saturday's encounter.

Last weekend, Bremen comfortably dispatched Hoffenheim with a 2-0 victory, having beaten Mainz 05 a fortnight earlier thanks to a Niclas Fullkrug double.

Speaking of the current Bundesliga top scorer, the former West Ham man will be hoping to continue his momentum - especially when he goes head-to-head against his national team rival, Deniz Undav.

That adds an intriguing subplot to Saturday's contest, with Fullkrug potentially looking to prove Jurgen Klopp right after the national team coach selected the Bremen striker but left Undav out of his latest squad.

Another interesting angle concerns Bremen's away form, which has been considerably less impressive than their recent performances on home soil.

Daniel Thioune’s side have only managed two wins from six games on the road, and one of those was a DFB Pokal victory over fifth-tier side Luneburger Hansa.

More concerning, though, is their defensive record on the road, having conceded 12 goals across their five away league trips.

Stuttgart Bundesliga form:

Stuttgart form (all competitions):

Werder Bremen Bundesliga form:

Werder Bremen form (all competitions):

Team News

Atakan Karazor is the big doubt for Stuttgart ahead of the weekend, with the midfielder struggling with a thigh injury. 

According to Hoeness, a recent MRI scan revealed visible bleeding, meaning the 30-year-old is highly unlikely to start Saturday’s game.

Angelo Stiller, Karazor's usual midfield partner, has also been ruled out until the international break with an adductor problem, leaving the Swabians short of options in the middle of the park.

Justin Diehl (thigh), Leo Sauer (muscle), Josha Vagnoman (hamstring) and Dan-Axel Zagadou (hamstring) are also out of action.

As for Werder Bremen, the visitors will make the trip to Stuttgart without nine first-team players.

Experienced midfielder Mitchell Weiser became the latest addition to the injury list after picking up a hamstring problem against Hoffenheim.

Third-choice goalkeeper Markus Kolke was never in contention for a starting place on Saturday, though a training injury this week has left him unavailable anyway.

Felix Agu (muscle), Skelly Alvero (calf), Paul Erevbenagie (ankle), Salim Musah (hamstring), Moussa N'Diaye (groin), Jens Stage (thigh) and Keke Topp (knee) are all on the sidelines.

In more positive news, Niklas Stark could make his return after his name did not appear on the list of unavailable players during Thioune’s recent press conference.

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:

Seimen; Jaquez, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Leweling, Spalt, Promel, Fuhrich; El Khannouss, Undav; Demirovic

Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:

Hein; Arthur, Pieper, Friedl, Deman; Reis, Regeer; Dinkci, Chuki, Grull;  Fullkrug

We say: Stuttgart 2-2 Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen might have serious momentum under their wings, but their away form is a concern ahead of the trip to Stuttgart.

Two of the previous eight meetings between these sides have ended in 2-2 draws, and another stalemate would not be particularly surprising, especially given both teams' recent goalscoring form in the Bundesliga.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.