Sunday 24/09/2014, 18:30, Germany Bundesliga, Round 1, Borussia M'gladbach vs Stuttgart
Borussia M'gladbach vs Stuttgart Preview
Borussia M'gladbach's campaign of friendly games was largely disappointing, but the Bavarian team rebounded just in time to win two important games. They prevailed in the German cup match and also won the first leg of the Europa League qualifier and now they seek to extend their winning streak with a Bundesliga win. They will be opposed by Stuttgart who is clearly out the form, but otherwise a decent defensive team, who knows how to perform on the road.
Borussia M'gladbach vs Stuttgart Odds
Borussia M'gladbach 1.90, Draw 3.70, Stuttgart 3.75
Borussia M'gladbach vs Stuttgart Tips
Borussia M'gladbach allowed plenty of goals earlier this month while scoring just a few of their own, but they are clearly on the mend. They had no problems in keeping opponents under pressure even though they don't have home pitch advantage and took the lead early in the game. The same approach against Stuttgart could backfire, so manager Favre will return to a more conservative 4-4-2 starting formation.
Raffael and Hrgota are expected to play up front, while Kruse is uncertain as he still has some fitness concerns to address. Without their prolific striker, the hosts will need to be more effective in the midfield, where Stuttgart has a certain edge in terms of both player quality and experience.
On the other hand, the visitors are trying to rebound after back-to-back defeats and improve their performance upfront. One week ago, they lost to Bochum in the German cup, despite the fact that they had crushing ball possession. The strikers didn't create many opportunities to score and nonchalantly blew those few chances, while the hosts made both of them count.
Ibisevic is usually the only striker in the games played on the road and following the string of disappointing results, it is unlikely for Stuttgart to take more chances. A draw on the road in the opening match of the German championship wouldn't be a disaster, but a third consecutive defeat would.
Key Facts
- Stuttgart won most of the head to head games played in front of their fans, but split points on the road.
- Each team won once in the last three direct games and on each occasion exactly 2 goals were scored.
Borussia M'gladbach vs Stuttgart Prediction
Given Borussia M'gladbach's recent run, many punters would be tempted to back them at full stakes to win the opening match of the Bundesliga. The odds are not exactly bad, but they don't reflect the difference of strength correctly and there is very little value in taking them. A low scoring game is more likely and Pinnacle Sports offers above even odds for this outcome.
Bet: Under 2.5 goals @ 2.05 with Pinnacle Sports
