A capacity 47,500 crowd will be in attendance at the Mercedes-Benz Arena for the 41st Bundesliga meeting between VfB and SC Freiburg on Saturday (kick-off 15:30 CEST), providing a fitting backdrop for what Stuttgart boss Pellegrino Matarazzo expects to be an exciting contest. “Freiburg are a complete side who have a solution for every phase in a game,” said the 44-year-old. “They are a mature team who have grown together over the years. We have to be very alert and recognise exactly what’s required at that moment in each individual period of the match. We have to be very flexible.”
Matarazzo may have to show similar flexibility when it comes to naming his starting line-up, with Konstantinos Mavropanos suffering with a knee problem and doubtful for the game. “He hasn’t trained much with the team this week, but the aim is for him to play on Saturday,” explained the head coach, who may also be without Josha Vagnoman due to a minor thigh issue.
The 11 players who do line up for VfB will be doing all they can to end Stuttgart’s run without a victory against their Baden-Württemberg rivals. The Cannstatt lads have not won any of their last six Bundesliga meetings with Freiburg (D2 L4) and will need the support of their fans to claim all three points this weekend.