Stuttgart vs Bochum prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-08-18 13:30.
Stuttgart diced with danger last season, only retaining their Bundesliga status via the relegation play-off, albeit running out comfortable winners against Hamburg. That was the third time in four top-flight seasons that the Swabians have finished in either 15th or 16th place, so an improvement into mid-table would be welcome heading into this campaign.
That’ll almost certainly require a better start after Stuttgart failed to win any of their first nine league games last season (D5, L4)! Sebastian Hoeneß’s men can be grateful for their strong end to the campaign which was key to helping them avoid the drop, losing just one of their last eight regular-season league matches (W3, D4). The Stuttgart boss will now be hoping that translates into this term, and his side have made a good start after cruising past Balingen in the DFB-Pokal this past weekend (4-0) – the perfect warm-up as they try and improve on a return of just three wins from their last 11 opening league fixtures (D2, L6).
Fellow strugglers Bochum finished just two points better off than their opponents last season, with a three-match unbeaten run key to staving off the drop (W2, D1). Improving on the division’s worst defence would go some way to avoiding similar fears this time around, with the 72 goals they conceded last term being the most in a single league season in club history!
The Blues could certainly do with making a better start to the campaign after they won just one point from their opening eight games last season (D1, L7), although that appears unlikely given that they’ve failed to win their maiden league fixture in each of the last six campaigns (D1, L5). This is far from the ideal game to put that right in too, as Bochum haven’t won a top-flight match on Stuttgart soil since 1986/87 (D6, L14)!
Players to watch: Now signed on permanently, Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy has started the season strongly, scoring and assisting in the 4-0 cup victory last week. Bochum’s Kevin Stoger was his side’s chief creator in their DFB-Pokal outing, assisting both goals as his side were dumped out on penalties by third-tier Arminia Bielefeld.
Hot stat: Stuttgart managed just two Bundesliga clean sheets last season – the fewest in the division.