Stuttgart vs Leipzig: Match Preview and Prediction

April 2, 2025. 21:45. Stuttgart. "Mercedes-Benz Arena".
DFB-Pokal 2024-25. Semi-final

Injuries: Dan-Axel Zagadou, Josha Vagnoman, Justin Diehl - Peter Gulacsi, Benjamin Henrichs, Assan Ouédraogo, Xavier Schlager, Kevin Kampl

On the evening of April 2, the second semi-final of the DFB-Pokal will take place, featuring Stuttgart and Leipzig. It can be asserted with a fair degree of confidence that winning Germany's second-most prestigious national trophy is the sole aim left for both sides in this closing season. The Swabians sit 11th in the standings, while the Bulls are 6th, a position that merits some scrutiny. Recently, the "Red Bulls" have changed their coach, a move made specifically to energize the squad (at least emotionally) as they aim to finish the season strong and find success on two fronts.

Stuttgart

For six consecutive Bundesliga matches, Sebastian Hoeneß's men have been deprived of victory, garnering only two points from these fixtures. The last two matches ended in defeat: firstly, they squandered a two-goal lead in an astonishing finish against Bayer at home, and last weekend Eintracht managed to outlast them on their turf. On the 57th minute, Stuttgart defender Al-Dakhil was sent off, and on the 70th, Mario Götze scored the only goal of the match. A few more chances were created at Nubel's end, but the Eagles remained content with their evening's work. Stuttgart, on the other hand, returned home empty-handed.

Looking at Stuttgart's last six home matches, we see that they have lost five of them. An astonishing streak that the team must do everything to break. Their only victory came in the Cup context: on February 4, they narrowly defeated Augsburg 1-0. In the league, however, they have suffered four consecutive defeats, with their last win dating back to January 18.

The path to the semi-finals for the Swabians unfolded as follows: initially, they faced little resistance from Prussia, annihilating them in an away match with a score of 5:0. Then they managed to squeeze past last year’s finalists Kaiserslautern at home with a score of 2:1. In the Round of 16, they thrashed Jahn Regensburg (3:0) away, and in the next round, they secured the aforementioned narrow victory over Augsburg, their only home win in a long time. By the way, Stuttgart and Leipzig clashed at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on January 15, where the hosts triumphed despite conceding a goal in the 10th minute (2:1).

Leipzig

The main news coming from the Bulls in recent days is the dismissal of head coach Marco Rose. His departure has been on the cards for some time, but it was thought that management would allow him to see out the season before making a decision regarding his future in the summer. However, it seems the club's bosses decided to shake things up ahead of crucial matches that could determine their participation in European competitions next season. Following a 1-0 defeat on Saturday in Mönchengladbach, Rose was let go. Under his guidance, the team managed to clinch victory in only one of their last six Bundesliga encounters. The interim coaching role has been handed to Zsolt Löw, who has experience as an assistant to Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and PSG. The 45-year-old Hungarian coach signed a contract until the end of the season and began his work on Monday.

Löw takes charge of a squad that has confidently reached the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal. Initially, the Bulls smashed Rot-Weiss Essen 4:1 away, and then followed up with three consecutive home victories against St. Pauli (4:2), Eintracht (3:0), and Wolfsburg (1:0). As evident, the opponents were no walkovers, particularly in the last two encounters. This sets the stage for what could be a challenging confrontation against Stuttgart, who will put all their energy into securing a place in the Cup final. However, concerns linger about Leipzig's away form, as they have not secured a win in their last seven away matches in the league. While it's understood that the league and the cup are two different competitions, the trend remains worrying.

It seems that Löw's potential defeat in Stuttgart may be forgiven if the team gathers strength and finishes the Bundesliga with a flourish. The Bulls currently sit 6th, merely three points off the Champions League zone. Nothing has been lost yet, but we are indeed entering that stage of the season where everything could be lost.

Stuttgart - Leipzig: Probable Lineups

The hosts will be missing injured defenders Dan-Axel Zagadou and Josha Vagnoman, along with striker Justin Diehl. As for the visitors, goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi may miss the match due to illness. Also unavailable are defender Benjamin Henrichs and midfielders Assan Ouédraogo, Xavier Schlager, and Kevin Kampl.

Stuttgart - Leipzig: Author's Prediction

Both teams will be highly motivated for the result, so the match is unlikely to be a spectacle. Here, one might try to catch the total number of yellow cards: in the last Bundesliga meeting between Stuttgart and Leipzig, two "Red Bull" players were sent off. However, now they have a new coach, which could provide some impetus. I risk suggesting a win for the visitors, valued at 2.38. But, of course, this option is risky...