Stuttgart - Karlsruher
It is derby day in Baden Württemberg as VfB Stuttgart host fierce rivals Karlsruher at the Mercedes Benz Arena looking to continue their impressive recent home form against the ‘Badener’.
Improvement Needed
This weekend sees the first Baden Württemberg derby of the season in one of three matches being played on Sunday. Due to Uefa Cup involvement VfB were granted special permission by the DFL to move their match to Sunday.
Stuttgart have started the season in a much more positive manner than they did last season, but have still suffered defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen. They were also very grateful to goalkeeper Jens Lehmann last weekend against Hoffenheim. They played poorly against the newly promoted side and only a great showing from the former international keeper saved them a point from the game.
They struggled a little in midweek too, though beating Bulgarian side Cherno More Varna 2-1 away from home in the Uefa Cup with two goals from Mario Gomez. They now however have an ideal opportunity to make it through to the next stage of the competition.
Trainer Armin Veh was far from happy with the performance saying: “If we play like that in the league then we have no chance- it won’t be worth even turning up.”
VfB and KSC met at this stage of the season last year on Matchday 4, albeit at the Wildparkstadion. Then, Karlsruher triumphed 1-0 thanks to a Tamas Hajnal goal at a time when Stuttgart were in a state of turmoil and about to enter an early season crisis of form.
The corresponding ‘home’ fixture was a real cracker in all senses of the word. Stuttgart ended up winning 3-1, with Mario Gomez involved in a running battle with Maik Franz and fireworks being let off by the away fans leading to a break in play. Such is the ferocity of the derby that the police have raised the category of the game to “high risk”
It is worth mentioning that VfB have won their last eight home matches against KSC with their rivals only managing to take all three points on a solitary occasion.
Win Long Overdue
Karlsruher are now in their second season in the top division of German football and will want to build on the positives from last season when they surprised a lot of observers to finish 11th.
The Badener played good football and were in the running for a Uefa Cup spot until a collapse towards the end of the season saw them drop down the table. They have lost key players in Mario Eggimann and Tamas Hajnal, but direct replacements have been signed in Antonio da Silva (from Stuttgart) and Tim Sebastian.
Karlsruher find themselves down in 14th place after their match last Friday against Frankfurt was postponed. Because of the postponement, Karlsruhe organised a friendly on Tuesday against Kreisliga side VfB Wiesloch, which they won easily 13-0.
Trainer Edmund Becker is trying to play down the significance of the opponents saying: “For us the next game is always the one that counts no matter who it is.
“However the goal is the same whenever we play away from home- to gain points. It will be necessary for us though to go to our limits- each individual player and the team as a whole.”
Becker also sees the fact that VfB were involved in Uefa Cup action in midweek as an advantage for his side. “They didn’t have to put in 100% energy because of their result, but they will have used up a lot of ene
Stuttgart
18/09/08 v Cherno More Varna (a) WON 1-2 (Uefa Cup)
13/09/08 v Hoffenheim (a) DREW 0-0 (Bundesliga)
31/08/08 v Hannover (h) WON 2-0 (Bundesliga)
28/08/08 v Gyor (a) WON 1-4 (Bundesliga)
23/08/08 v Bayer Leverkusen (h) LOST 0-2 (Bundesliga)
Karlsruher
29/08/08 v 1.FC Köln (h) LOST 0-2 (Bundesliga)
23/08/08 v Hamburg (a) LOST 2-1 (Bundesliga)
16/08/08 v Bochum (h) WON 1-0 (Bundesliga)
10/08/08 v Ansbach (a) WON 0-5 (German Cup)
02/08/08 v Sochaux (h) DREW 1-1 (Friendly)
Head to head record in Stuttgart:
23/02/08 Stuttgart 3 Karlsruher 1
22/11/97 Stuttgart 3 Karlsruher 0
22/02/97 Stuttgart 1 Karlsruher 0
18/05/96 Stuttgart 3 Karlsruher 1
22/10/94 Stuttgart 4 Karlsruher 0
Stuttgart
VfB trainer Armin Veh will be without the services of Yildiray Bastürk, Pavel Pardo, Ciprian Marica and Sebastian Rudy for the derby.
Striker Cacau is however fit and should line-up alongside Mario Gomez, with Daniel Ljuboja acting as back-up.
Probable starting XI: Lehmann, Boulahrouz, Tasci, Delpierre, Boka, Khedira, Lanig, Hitzlsperger, Simak, Gomez, Cacau
Karlsruher
The midweek friendly against Wiesloch on Tuesday proved a little costly as Edmond Kapllani got an adductor injury and will be ruled out of the derby. Fellow striker Joshua Kennedy is also doubtful after suffering a stomach virus. A decision on his inclusion will be taken at the last minute.
There is good news though over defender Maik Franz who should return to the starting line-up in place of Stoll.
The availability of Christian Timm is also questionable after a recent bout of angina. Bradley Carnell is suffering from a knee injury also, while Andreas Görlitz is a long-term absentee.
Probable starting XI: Miller, Celozzi, Sebastian, Franz, Eichner, Porcello, Mutzel, Timm, da Silva, Iashvili, Freis
I think Stuttgart will have no problems winning today. Stuttgart -1 European handicap @ 2.7 at Bet365 seems worty
Improvement Needed
This weekend sees the first Baden Württemberg derby of the season in one of three matches being played on Sunday. Due to Uefa Cup involvement VfB were granted special permission by the DFL to move their match to Sunday.
Stuttgart have started the season in a much more positive manner than they did last season, but have still suffered defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen. They were also very grateful to goalkeeper Jens Lehmann last weekend against Hoffenheim. They played poorly against the newly promoted side and only a great showing from the former international keeper saved them a point from the game.
They struggled a little in midweek too, though beating Bulgarian side Cherno More Varna 2-1 away from home in the Uefa Cup with two goals from Mario Gomez. They now however have an ideal opportunity to make it through to the next stage of the competition.
Trainer Armin Veh was far from happy with the performance saying: “If we play like that in the league then we have no chance- it won’t be worth even turning up.”
VfB and KSC met at this stage of the season last year on Matchday 4, albeit at the Wildparkstadion. Then, Karlsruher triumphed 1-0 thanks to a Tamas Hajnal goal at a time when Stuttgart were in a state of turmoil and about to enter an early season crisis of form.
The corresponding ‘home’ fixture was a real cracker in all senses of the word. Stuttgart ended up winning 3-1, with Mario Gomez involved in a running battle with Maik Franz and fireworks being let off by the away fans leading to a break in play. Such is the ferocity of the derby that the police have raised the category of the game to “high risk”
It is worth mentioning that VfB have won their last eight home matches against KSC with their rivals only managing to take all three points on a solitary occasion.
Win Long Overdue
Karlsruher are now in their second season in the top division of German football and will want to build on the positives from last season when they surprised a lot of observers to finish 11th.
The Badener played good football and were in the running for a Uefa Cup spot until a collapse towards the end of the season saw them drop down the table. They have lost key players in Mario Eggimann and Tamas Hajnal, but direct replacements have been signed in Antonio da Silva (from Stuttgart) and Tim Sebastian.
Karlsruher find themselves down in 14th place after their match last Friday against Frankfurt was postponed. Because of the postponement, Karlsruhe organised a friendly on Tuesday against Kreisliga side VfB Wiesloch, which they won easily 13-0.
Trainer Edmund Becker is trying to play down the significance of the opponents saying: “For us the next game is always the one that counts no matter who it is.
“However the goal is the same whenever we play away from home- to gain points. It will be necessary for us though to go to our limits- each individual player and the team as a whole.”
Becker also sees the fact that VfB were involved in Uefa Cup action in midweek as an advantage for his side. “They didn’t have to put in 100% energy because of their result, but they will have used up a lot of ene
Stuttgart
18/09/08 v Cherno More Varna (a) WON 1-2 (Uefa Cup)
13/09/08 v Hoffenheim (a) DREW 0-0 (Bundesliga)
31/08/08 v Hannover (h) WON 2-0 (Bundesliga)
28/08/08 v Gyor (a) WON 1-4 (Bundesliga)
23/08/08 v Bayer Leverkusen (h) LOST 0-2 (Bundesliga)
Karlsruher
29/08/08 v 1.FC Köln (h) LOST 0-2 (Bundesliga)
23/08/08 v Hamburg (a) LOST 2-1 (Bundesliga)
16/08/08 v Bochum (h) WON 1-0 (Bundesliga)
10/08/08 v Ansbach (a) WON 0-5 (German Cup)
02/08/08 v Sochaux (h) DREW 1-1 (Friendly)
Head to head record in Stuttgart:
23/02/08 Stuttgart 3 Karlsruher 1
22/11/97 Stuttgart 3 Karlsruher 0
22/02/97 Stuttgart 1 Karlsruher 0
18/05/96 Stuttgart 3 Karlsruher 1
22/10/94 Stuttgart 4 Karlsruher 0
Stuttgart
VfB trainer Armin Veh will be without the services of Yildiray Bastürk, Pavel Pardo, Ciprian Marica and Sebastian Rudy for the derby.
Striker Cacau is however fit and should line-up alongside Mario Gomez, with Daniel Ljuboja acting as back-up.
Probable starting XI: Lehmann, Boulahrouz, Tasci, Delpierre, Boka, Khedira, Lanig, Hitzlsperger, Simak, Gomez, Cacau
Karlsruher
The midweek friendly against Wiesloch on Tuesday proved a little costly as Edmond Kapllani got an adductor injury and will be ruled out of the derby. Fellow striker Joshua Kennedy is also doubtful after suffering a stomach virus. A decision on his inclusion will be taken at the last minute.
There is good news though over defender Maik Franz who should return to the starting line-up in place of Stoll.
The availability of Christian Timm is also questionable after a recent bout of angina. Bradley Carnell is suffering from a knee injury also, while Andreas Görlitz is a long-term absentee.
Probable starting XI: Miller, Celozzi, Sebastian, Franz, Eichner, Porcello, Mutzel, Timm, da Silva, Iashvili, Freis
I think Stuttgart will have no problems winning today. Stuttgart -1 European handicap @ 2.7 at Bet365 seems worty
posted by Midnight Sun @ 00:52,
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