Preview: Stuttgart vs Werder Bremen - prediction, team news, lineups

MHPArena will be the backdrop for a clash that will impact both ends of the Bundesliga table on Sunday, when Champions League-chasing Stuttgart host relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.

Die Roten are looking to build on their DFB-Pokal triumph last time out, while Die Werderaner are hoping for back-to-back wins for only the second time this season.

Match preview

Sebastian Hoeness's Stuttgart have enjoyed a strong campaign so far, bouncing back from the disappointment of finishing ninth in 2024-25 by pushing for a spot in the top four this term.

With just four games to play in the Bundesliga calendar, Die Roten currently sit fourth in the German top flight, two points clear of fifth-placed Hoffenheim and four above sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

To add to that promising position, Hoeness's side are on course to retain their DFB-Pokal crown after Tiago Tomas's extra-time winner saw the club down Freiburg 2-1 in Thursday's semi-final, setting up a showdown with Bayern Munich on May 23.

However, the only consistent thing about Stuttgart in recent weeks has been their ability to alternate between victory and defeat over their last eight outings across all competitions.

For example, Die Roten followed up their 4-0 demolition of Hamburger SV on April 12 with a 4-2 beating by Bayern a week later, prior to success against Die Breisgau-Brasilianer in the cup.

If Sunday's hosts are unable to find some solidity in the closing stretch of 2025-26, then they could be caught out by their top-four rivals at the final hurdle, though the more positive amongst the MHPArena faithful would highlight that the club have won consecutive matches at home ahead of this weekend - the first time since mid February.

Meanwhile, Daniel Thioune has performed commendably in the Werder dugout since taking the reins from Horst Steffen, though his team's Bundesliga future hangs in the balance with four games to play.

Die Werderaner are 15th in the division, where their tally of 31 points has them five above 16th-placed St Pauli, who occupy the league's relegation playoff spot, and seven clear of 17th-placed Wolfsburg.

That cushion was earned thanks to a hard-fought 3-1 victory against Hamburger SV in last Saturday's Nordderby, a match that saw Jens Stage bag a brace with goals either side of half time, before Cameron Peurtas sealed the points with a 91st-minute effort of his own.

That triumph marked a fourth success in seven outings for the Green-Whites, who seem to have found their feet at the perfect time after going winless across the previous 13 games.

Adding to the visitors' confidence this weekend will be the fact that they have won two of their last three away contests - 4-1 against Union Berlin on March 8 and 1-0 against Wolfsburg two weeks later - but if they are beaten on Saturday, then they could be drawn back into a feisty demotion scrap.

Stuttgart Bundesliga form:

Stuttgart form (all competitions):

Werder Bremen Bundesliga form:

Team News

Stuttgart will be without centre-back Finn Jeltsch as he recovers from an abdominal injury, though Luca Jaquez and Jeff Chabot should be on hand to start at the heart of the hosts' defence, flanked by Josha Vagnoman and Ramon Hendriks.

Die Roten are also missing young wingers Justin Diehl and Lazar Jovanovic due to respective muscle and back injuries, but Chris Fuhrich, Deniz Undav and Jamie Leweling will be ready to support striker Tiago Tomas up top.

As for Werder, they have an extensive list of absentees for Saturday's clash, given that versatile forward Marco Grull is suspended, striker Keke Topp is out for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and fellow frontman Victor Boniface is a doubt as he recovers from illness.

With that in mind, Thioune could opt for Jovan Milosevic to lead the line this weekend, aided by Justin Njinmah and Romano Schmid, though Boniface could yet make the squad after the manager spoke positively about the loanee's showings in training.

At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Karl Hein was ruled out for the season with a thumb injury, much like centre-back Julian Malatini, who is dealing with an ankle ligament tear.

However, left-back Felix Agu and right-back Mitchell Weiser - the latter of whom has been out for the entirety of 2025-26 with an ACL injury - could feature in the final few games of the campaign, though the duo are set to sit out against Stuttgart.

Filling the gaps, the visitors could line up with Amos Pieper and Marco Friedl at centre-half, protecting shot-stopper Mio Backhaus, while Yukinari Sugawara and Olivier Deman operate at full-back.

Elsewhere, defensive midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt is also suspended after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season in the Nordderby, while 19-year-old Wesley Adeh is working his way back from an ankle injury, so Jens Stage, Senne Lynen and Cameron Puertas look set to patrol the centre of the park.

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:

Nubel; Vagnoman, Jaquez, Chabot, Hendriks; Karazor, Stiller; Leweling, Undav, Fuhrich; Tomas

Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:

Backhaus; Sugawara, Pieper, Friedl, Deman; Stage, Lynen, Puertas; Njinmah, Milosevic, Schmid

We say: Stuttgart 2-1 Werder Bremen

Stuttgart have been inconsistent in recent weeks, but they will be expecting to beat one of the Bundesliga's relegation contenders on Saturday.

That being said, Werder could put up a serious fight after displaying major improvements under Thioune, though anything other than another defeat would come as a surprise.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.