Final season’s champions and runners up will meet for the primary time within the Bundesliga this season as Bayer Leverkusen host Stuttgart at BayArena on Friday night time.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen aspect are presently in third place within the Bundesliga and are actually 5 factors behind the league leaders Bayern Munich after drawing 2-2 with Werder Bremen final week.
Leverkusen have now dropped factors 4 occasions within the league to date this season, with three attracts and one loss.
Final season they solely dropped factors six occasions all through the entire marketing campaign and remained unbeaten all season.
On Wednesday, Leverkusen secured a 3-0 win within the DFB-Pokal to take them via to the third spherical during which all three targets had been scored earlier than the thirty sixth minute.
Alonso has expressed his ideas on what he believes might be a really aggressive recreation as the 2 sides will now meet for the fifth time in simply eleven months.
“The final matches in opposition to Stuttgart had been all very thrilling, intense and emotional. Not only for the followers and the gamers but additionally for us as coaches. I used to be at all times actually exhausted after the final matches in opposition to them.”
Their opponents come into this fixture after a 2-0 win over Kaiserslautern within the DFB-Pokal and in addition gained a 2-1 victory over Holstein Kiel the week earlier than within the Bundesliga.
Sebastian Hoeness’s aspect are presently positioned eighth within the league desk.
Outcomes have been blended to date for Stuttgart this season, however they’ve managed to search out some type just lately, together with a powerful 1-0 victory away at Juventus within the Champions League.
Group Information
Unavailable gamers for Leverkusen are Amine Adli (damaged leg) and Jeanuel Belocian, who has undergone a minor operation this week after persistent ankle issues.
Stuttgart have a number of absentees which embody centre-backs Dan-Axel Zagadou, who might be lacking till February, and Jeff Chabot who’s suspended.
Luca Raimond and Yannik Keitel are additionally lacking via damage.
Justin Diehl and Leonidas Stergiou are additionally doubts for the match.
GGFN | Matthew Gritton
