It is Hertha who hold both the home advantage and a better league position after a 1-0 win over Augsburg last time out moved them out of the relegation zone and above Stuttgart.
Hertha Berlin
It could be argued that the Bundesliga have saved the most important clash of the weekend until last, as relegation-threatened pair Hertha Berlin and Stuttgart meet in a fixture that will see the potential loser rooted inside the bottom three with just three games to come. It is Hertha who hold both the home advantage and a better league position after a 1-0 win over Augsburg last time out moved them out of the relegation zone and above Stuttgart. That win was just Hertha’s second in this calendar year, but two wins ‘to nil’ across the last four hints at a slight resurgence for the capital club.
The early pace could go a long way to settle matters in this clash as eight of Hertha’s last nine Bundesliga games witnessed the same half-time/full-time result, and with four wins across the last five home league H2Hs, Hertha will hope to stamp their authority early.
Stuttgart
Stuttgart’s scrap to stay above the bottom three took a damning turn last time out as a third straight winless game (0-0 vs Mainz) saw them drop into relegation territory for the first time since round 26. Even the return of last season’s top-scorer Saša Kalajdžić couldn’t save Stuttgart from a second scoreless game, and they’re now looking to avoid three straight blanks in front of goal for the first time since a run of five back in January. The visitors’ away form won’t inspire much confidence to turn things around coming into this one either. Just two sides have picked up fewer than their meagre ten-point haul away from home ahead of the round, but they have at least proven tough to break with a run of three straight travelling stalemates.
Hertha’s Suat Serdar scored the match opener in each of his last four scoring Bundesliga appearances, while Kalajdzic contributed to Stuttgart’s only goal of the game in three of their last four away trips. Hertha boss Felix Magath has seen his last eight H2Hs with Stuttgart settled by no more than a one-goal margin.