Stuttgart seek remedy to home allergy in Augsburg derby
Stuttgart - Regional pride is on the line when VfB Stuttgart welcome fellow Swabians FC Augsburg to the Mercedez-Benz Arena on Sunday to round off Matchday 12 (kick-off 16:30 GMT/17:30 CET).
And if history is anything to go by then fans are guaranteed an exciting spectacle, with previous fixtures averaging over three goals per game. bundesliga.com looks ahead to the weekend's curtain-closer...
For Stuttgart this match is all about hauling themselves off the foot of the standings, as they have just nine points to show for their efforts so far this season. Augsburg are 11 rungs further up the table but only six points separate the two, so the visitors will be keen to keep a buffer between themselves and the drop zone.
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The hosts are missing attacking trio Daniel Didavi (thigh), Mohammed Abdellaoue (knee) and Vedad Ibisevic (foot), while goalkeeper Thorsten Kirschbaum's participation is hanging in the balance after suffering mild concussion in training. However, long-term absentee (pictured) is back in the squad following injury, as is defender Daniel Schwaab.
The visitors will definitely be without injured quartet Jan Moravek (cruciate ligament), Ronny Philp (hip), Shawn Parker (knee) and Marcel de Jong (fitness), while midfielder Dominik Kohr (pictured) is doubtful after missing training on Thursday with a cold.
Now a full Germany international and a regular in the national set-up, Stuttgart need centre-back to bring the experiences gleaned with the 2014 FIFA World Cup winners back to VfB, who have conceded more goals (25) than any other side so far this season.
only joined Augsburg a couple of months ago but he has settled in straight away. The attack-minded left-back has played in every Bundesliga game so far this season and has more assists (three) than any of his team-mates, making the 20-year-old Ghanaian international a crucial cog in Augsburg's game.
Stuttgart have earned just four points from the last 15 available, each winning and drawing one match and losing three games, including a 2-0 defeat away to Bremen on Matchday 11. Augsburg have likewise lost three of their last five encounter, but have at least interspersed that with two victories, most recently a 3-0 win over SC Paderborn.
There have been six top-flight meetings between these two but there has never been a draw. Curiously, Stuttgart won the first three encounters and Augsburg the most recent three, including a 4-1 away thrashing in February this year.
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Possible line-ups:
Stuttgart: Kirschbaum - Klein, Niedermeier, Rüdiger, G. Sakai - Romeu, Gentner - Sararer, Maxim, Kostic - Harnik
Augsburg: Hitz - Verhaeg, Callsen-Bracker, Klavan, Baba - Kohr, Baier - Bobadilla, Altintop, Werner - Matavz