VfB Stuttgart vs. RB Leipzig preview: Team news and predicted lineups
| Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images |
The DFB-Pokal semi-final on Wednesday will see two out-of-form sides lock horns when VfB Stuttgart welcome RB Leipzig to the MHPArena.
Stuttgart's winless run was extended to six games when they lost 1-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend, and Sebastian Hoeness' side will be desperate to end that run and reach the final for the first time since 2013.
RB Leipzig are coming off a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach that led to the sacking of Marco Rose as head coach. Zsolt Löw has taken over at the two-time DFB-Pokal winners, and Wednesday's game will be his first in charge.
The fact that he will be taking on a club led by a former teammate makes the occasion all the more special.
“As I've been in the game for so long, I know Sebastian Hoeneß well. We played together at Hoffenheim and we worked in the same building when he was a youth coach at RB Leipzig. He certainly won't have been expecting to come up against me tomorrow,” Löw said at his pre-match press conference.
“Stuttgart are a really strong team and have developed massively under Sebastian. They are a lot more solid now than in the past. Even though they haven't been at their best in recent weeks, they have a great squad and it will be a really tough game.”
In terms of absentees, Anrie Chase (hamstring), Noah Nartey (thigh), Luca Raimund (thigh) and Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee) are all out for the home side, while Justin Diehl (muscular) and Josha Vagnoman (muscular) are both doubts.
Ameen Al-Dakhil was shown a red card for Stuttgart at the weekend, but will be available as his two-match ban doesn't apply to the cup.
Benjamin Henrichs (Achilles), Antonio Nusa (knee), Assan Ouédraogo (hamstring) and Xaver Schlager (hamstring) are all certain to miss out for Leipzig.
Kevin Kampl (stomach bug) is a doubt, while Peter Gulacsi will be back in the squad. The Hungarian shot-stopper's place in the starting line-up is highly doubtful, however, as Maarten Vandewvoordt has been given the nod in the cup previously this season.
Click here to see our predicted Stuttgart vs. RB Leipzig lineups.
