Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
The exciting Bundesliga continues with a blockbuster Matchday 17 fixture between VFB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. The match is billed to take place at the MHPArena in Stuttgart, Germany on the 15th of January, 2025.
VFB Stuttgart under German coach Sebastian Hoeness have had a mixed start to the season. As of the time of writing, they are currently ninth in the German Bundesliga with sixteen points from their first eleven matches. They have won four matches, drawn four matches and lost three times in the league this season.
They finished strongly last season achieving a second place finish and an automatic qualification for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. This ensured they finished ahead of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich who finished the season in third place. Their most high profile departure in the summer was Striker Serhou Guirassy who scored 30 goals in all competitions last season. The striker left for rivals Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth about €18 million. Brighton forward Denis Undav who spent the previous season on loan at the club was brought in to replace the forward. Other departures included centre back Hiroki Ito who left to join Bayern Munich and Anton Waldemar who also joined Borussia Dortmund.
There were high hopes going into the season after a brilliant performance last season. They started the season with a penalty shootout loss to Bundesliga Champions Bayer Leverkusen in the German Super Cup. They lost their opening fixture of the season to Freiburg before picking up a first victory on the road when they defeated Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1. Their last fixture in the Bundesliga was a 2-0 victory over Bochum as goals from Chris Fuhrich and Justin Diehl secured maximum points for Sebastian Hoeness' side.
In the UEFA Champions League, they currently sit 27th with four points from their opening five games. They began the Champions League season with a 3-1 loss at last season champions Real Madrid. They got their first victory of the season on Matchday three with a memorable 1-0 win over Juventus at the Allianz stadium in Turin courtesy of a late goal by El Bilal Toure. Their most recent outing was a disappointing 5-1 loss at Red Star Belgrade despite scoring first through forward Ermedin Demirovic.
On the other hand, RB Leipzig have had a good start to the season. They currently sit third in the Bundesliga with 21 points from their first 11 matches. They are currently eight points behind leaders Bayern Munich. They have won six times, drawn three times and lost only twice in the league this season. They finished the 2023/24 season in fourth place to qualify for the 2024/25 Champions League. They finished with 65 points ending the season with 19 wins, 8 draws and 7 losses in the Bundesliga. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 by eventual champions Real Madrid in the Champions league despite a 1-1 draw away at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In the summer, they brought in left winger Antonio Nusa from Belgian side Club Brugge. They also signed Arthur Vermeeren on loan from Spain side Atletico Madrid. Right back Lutsharel Geertruida was also brought in from Feyenoord for a transfer fee of about €20 million. Euro 2024 winner Dani Olmo left to join Spanish giants Barcelona in a fee worth over €55 million. Ilaix Moriba also joined Celta Vigo on loan till the end of the season.
They started the season with a hard-fought 1-0 win at home over Bochum. They dropped points for the first time when they were held to a goalless draw away at newly-promoted St. Pauli. They lost in the league for the first time as they were beaten 2-1 by rivals Borussia Dortmund. Their most recent Bundesliga fixture was a 4-3 loss at Hoffenheim.
In the UEFA champions League, they have had a poor start to the season. As of the time of writing, they are 34th in the 36-team competition as they have lost all five games in the competition. They have scored four times and have conceded ten goals. Their last match was a 1-0 loss away at Inter Milan on Matchday 5 of the UEFA Champions League.
The past ten encounters between these two sides have produced a lone victory for Stuttgart which was the last time both times faced. Leipzig have won eight of these ten matches with one ending in a stalemate.
The epic match at MHP Arena in Stuttgart will kick off at 19:30 GMT on Wednesday, 15th January, 2025.
The 60,058-capacity stadium will host this league game between Die Roten and Leipzig.
Getting Stuttgart v Leipzig tickets could take a lot of work given the standard of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club's channels.
Stuttgart should have defender Dan-Axel Zagadou back from injury. They should also be able to call upon German international centre forward Denis Undav who has been unavailable for a while due to a torn muscle fibre. Attacking midfielders Lica Raimund and Jamie Leweling are also unavailable due to injuries.
Sebastian Hoeness will hope his team get their balance on a day where they need to secure maximum points to boost their chances of clinching an European spot at the end of the season.
Stuttgart XI: Alexander Nubel; Josha Vagnoman, Anthony Rouault, Julian Chabot, Maximiliam Mitttelstadt; Angelo Stiller, Atakan Karazor; Fabian Rieder, Enzo Millot, Chris Fuhrich; Ermedin Demirovic.
Marco Rose's side should be able to call upon defenders David Raum, El Chadaille Bitshiabuand Lukas Klostermann, who are currently unavailable due to injury as of the time of writing. Xavi Simons and Yussuf Poulsen will also be available after some time out of the team.
RB Leipzig XI: Gulacsi(GK), Raum, Orban, Lukeba, Henrichs; Xavi Simons, Haidara, Kampl, Poulsen, Sesko, Openda
The matchup is expected to produce goals considering both teams like to attack frequently. RB Leipzig are expected to come out victorious in the game. By the way, getting Stuttgart tickets could be a bit tricky as the year is just beginning.
Stuttgart 1-2 Leipzig
Tony Incenzo has been to over 2,000 football grounds - is he the world's barmiest football fan? Read about his love for Non-League football and groundhopping obsession, including watching a match in prison!
My daughter's first ever football match - Orlando City v Atlanta United, August 2019. Written for Izzy to read when she gets old enough. Vamos Orlando
Taking my son to his first football match was one of the best experiences I've had as a father so far. I've written this article for Alex to read when he gets older.
The 91 biggest football stadiums in Europe. From Manchester to Munich, Villa Park to Valencia - each one with a capacity over 40,000
