German Bundesliga
2010-03-27 - Bayern Munich vs Vfb Stuttgart
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Allianz Arena
Saturday, 27th March 2010 – kickoff 15:30
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have reached the DFB Cup final after their midweek win over Schalke 04 after extra time in not that interesting, but yet exhausting match.
Now they return to their Bundesliga duties to face Vfb Stuttgart in a period where they will have a tough schedule facing strong opponents in the remaining seven rounds and plus they have a match next week against Manchester United in the Champions league quarterfinals.
Bayern Munich were stunned with that loss against Eintracht Frankfurt last week when they have conceded twice in just two minutes but fortunately stayed on top with 56 points, one point ahead of Schalke 04. They have dipped a bit in their form as they have won only two times in the last five league matches.
Against Vfb Stuttgart, coach van Gaal will field the same starting eleven that were on the pitch against Schalke 04. Robben and Ribery will be the main force of the team at the wings and MIroslav Klose will be the only striker.
The defender Martin Demichelis returned back to trainings with the team after his face injury but according to reports he is still three weeks away from first team action and needs to wear a protective mask. Mario Gomez is also injured and unavailable for selection.
Probable Bayern Munich line-up :
Lahm,Daniel van Buyten,Badstuber,Contento,
Schweinsteiger, Mark van Bommel ,
Robben, Thomas Muller, Ribery,
Klose
Vfb Stuttgart
Stuttgart are showing good performances lately and still have (slim) chances for Europe next season.They are currently sitting at the seventh place at the table with 38 points, ten points behind the place that leads into Europa league.
Last week they won 2-0 against Hannover 96, and Ciprian Marica proved his good form once again as he had scored the both goals for his team.
Good news for the coach Christian Gross is that he will not have trouble selecting his team as there are no reports of injured or suspended players for this match. The defender Serdar Tasci is back in the team again and he will replace Niedermeier as a central defender.
Kuzmanovic and Hleb will be at the wings but will have lots of trouble against the strong Bayern Munich midfield. As expected, Marica and Pogrebnyak will be the two strikers in the team`s formation.
Probable Vfb Stuttgart line-up :
Boulahrouz, Tasci, Delpierre , Molinaro ,
Kuzmanovic, Khedira, Gebhart, Hleb,
Marica, Pogrebnyak
The Betting Verdict
The first match between these teams ended in goalless draw in Stuttgart. Overall, Bayern Munich have a superior record against their opponents and in 85 matches played they have celebrated 49 times, 20 matches were drawn and 16 matches were won by Vfb Stuttgart.
Have in mind that in Munich, Vfb Stuttgart have not won a single game against Bayern Munich since the year 1999.
I think that this type of matches must be won in order for a team to become a champion and Bayern Munich have what it takes to do so. Coach van Gaal found the right team chemistry, the team plays really well and they will probably find a way to win this match as a preparation for the clash against Manchester United.
On the other side, Vfb Stuttgart plays entertaining football; they have really raised their game in this second part of the season and after the dismal start of the season now everyone in the club is satisfied where they stand at the moment. They still have a shot for European spots but i think that there is not much time left even with a good run to achieve that.
Bayern Munich will play in a strong formation, knowing that they have to win in order to stay on top and after their bad game last week i think that they will make up in front of their fans and win this match.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Bayern Munich 2-1 Vfb Stuttgart
