Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart
One of the most highly anticipated fixtures in the Bundesliga calendar pits Bayern Munich and Stuttgart against each other at the Allianz Arena.
October’s international break couldn’t have been better timed from Vincent Kompany’s perspective after Bayern Munich’s quest to dethrone Bayer Leverkusen suffered back-to-back slumps. After a 1-1 draw against Xabi Alonso’s side, the Bavarians conceded a last-gasp equalizer in a goal-glutted 3-3 stalemate at Eintracht Frankfurt, failing to bounce back from a 1-0 UEFA Champions League defeat against Aston Villa. Kompany’s first three-match winless run in charge of Bayern has ensued after six consecutive wins in all competitions during which they scored a mind-blowing 29 goals! Despite their formidable scoring form, the record-time Bundesliga champions cannot afford to underestimate a Stuttgart side they had failed to defeat twice on this ground (D2) before a scintillating 3-0 win in this corresponding fixture last term.
Like Bayern, Stuttgart slipped to a disappointing 1-1 home draw against bottom-half TSG Hoffenheim before the international break, making it four consecutive scoring stalemates across all competitions. The visitors probably wouldn’t mind sharing the spoils again, considering their last Bundesliga win at the Allianz Arena dates back to 2018! After that, they’ve conceded 2+ goals on five consecutive league visits to this stadium (D2, L3), highlighting the scale of the task awaiting them this weekend. Adding to Sebastian Hoeness’ list of worries, his men have only won twice in their five competitive away games this season (D1, L2). However, neutrals should be in for a treat, given that all those five encounters produced over 2.5 goals.