Preview: Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt - prediction, team news, lineups

Pushing for a Champions League place in the Bundesliga, Stuttgart will welcome European rivals Eintracht Frankfurt to MHPArena on Tuesday.

Die Roten could make it four wins from five competitive games in midweek, while Die Adler will be looking for their first victory in three top-flight outings.

Match preview

Sebastian Hoeness's Stuttgart reached the Europa League's league phase after lifting the DFB-Pokal in 2024-25, but they are within touching distance of the spots for entry into UEFA's premier club competition via the league this time around.

On Saturday, VfB thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 on the road, a resounding victory that means Die Roten have now scored an impressive 15 goals across their last five matches, including friendlies.

That triumph also brought Hoeness's side up to fifth in the table, where they are level on 29 points with Die Werkself in fourth and RB Leipzig in third.

Hoping to leapfrog their rivals on Tuesday, the hosts will draw confidence from their excellent home record that features nine wins, one stalemate and just one defeat from their last 11 games at MHPArena.

Another three points in midweek could see Stuttgart overtake Die Roten Bullen, though a heavy loss would be enough to drop VfB down to seventh in a worst-case scenario.

Meanwhile, Dino Toppmoller's Frankfurt secured Champions League football by finishing third last term, but they find themselves outside of the European places in the opening weeks of 2026.

Most recently, Die Adler followed up their 1-1 draw with Hamburger SV on December 20 by playing out another stalemate, this time a 3-3, six-goal thriller with Borussia Dortmund on Friday.

In that clash, Toppmoller's men came from a goal down twice and went on to lead the game in second-half stoppage time thanks to Mahmoud Dahoud, only to concede a 96th-minute equaliser from Carney Chukwuemeka.

In any case, Frankfurt have now triumphed in just one of their last five Bundesliga outings, a troubling run that has seen the club slip down to seventh.

However, the more optimistic Die Adler fans would point out that they remain only one point behind sixth-placed Hoffenheim and three short of their opponents, and a win on Tuesday could drastically change the complexion of their campaign.

On the other hand, some would highlight that the visitors have emerged victorious from just one of their last eight on the road across all competitions, a stretch that includes four draws and three defeats.

Stuttgart Bundesliga form:

Stuttgart form (all competitions):

Eintracht Frankfurt Bundesliga form:

Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions):

Team News

Stuttgart will be without a number of defenders this week, as centre-backs Dan-Axel Zagadou and Luca Jaquez are sidelined due to respective tendon and hamstring injuries, a concern made worse by the fact that Ameen Al Dakhil is also a doubt with a bout of illness.

If all three are unavailable, then 19-year-old Finn Jeltsch should be joined by Julian Chabot at centre-half, flanked by Josha Vagnomann and Maximilian Mittelstadt at full-back.

At the opposite end of the pitch, attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannous is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while wingers Lazar Jovanovic and Tiago Tomas are both injured, so Chris Fuhrich, Nikolas Nartey and Jamie Leweling could support Deniz Undav up top.

As for Frankfurt, striker Michy Batshuayi is working his way back from a broken ankle, and fellow centre-forward Jonathan Burkardt is dealing with a calf issue, though Ansgar Knauff should be on hand to deputise.

Can Uzun and Ritsu Doan are likely to line up behind the frontman, with left-sided forward Jean-Matteo Bahoya set to miss out due to illness.

Elsewhere, right-back Elias Baum is not anticipated to return from his medial collateral ligament injury until next month, but Rasmus Kristensen and Nathaniel Brown are available to start as wing-backs in his absence.

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:

Nubel; Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstaedt; Karazor, Stiller; Fuhrich, Nartey, Leweling; Undav

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Kaua; Collins, Koch, Theate; Kristensen, Hojlund, Larsson, Brown; Uzun, Doan; Knauff

We say: Stuttgart 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

Stuttgart have been prolific goalscorers in recent weeks, so expect to see the hosts hit the back of the net more than once on Tuesday.

Additionally, VfB have been generally excellent on their own turf this season, while Frankfurt have been poor away from home, a trend that could be borne out by a Stuttgart win in midweek.

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