Although they are well on course to make it a historic fourth straight Bundesliga title, Bayern Munich are definitely looking for more than just domestic glory this season. Nonetheless, with Borussia Dortmund just five points behind them in second, Pep Guardiola's side will be loath to drop any points as they take on Stuttgart on the road this Saturday. Meanwhile, Stuttgart, who currently find themselves in the bottom half of the table, will be hoping to overturn their long hoodoo against the Bavarian powerhouse as well as to arrest their slump in form.
Stuttgart
Stuttgart will be coming into this match having hit a rough patch as of late. Die Roten have failed to win any of their past three games and, unfortunately for Jürgen Kramny's side, Stuttgart have poor track record against Bayern Munich. The last time Saturday's hosts managed to get the better of the "other" Roten side was on March 27, 2010, when they defeated the Bavarian powerhouse 2-1. Since then, they have lost every single one of their past 11 Bundesliga ties, and this number rises to 14 if one also includes their three DFB-Pokal meetings.
Should Stuttgart lose yet again this Saturday, they will have tied both Nuremberg and Freiburg for the worst run against Bayern Munich (12 games without a win). Although the hosts are only second to Borussia Moenchengladbach in terms of goals scored in the second half of the season, with 23 in total, they have picked up just six points from their last seven matches. To complicated matters for Stuttgart, Kramny will also be without the services of several key players - both for this game as well as for the longer-term.
They might have been able to bounce back from a loss by drawing Darmstadt 2-2 last weekend, but this came at a price: midfielder Serey Die will miss the rest of the season after suffering an injury in that game. Additional absentees will include ex-Dortmund man Kevin Grosskreutz, as well as midfielder Arianit Ferati, striker Daniel Ginczek, and defender Toni Sunjic - all as a result of varying injuries.
Bayern Munich
Meanwhile, Guardiola's men will arrive at the Mercedes-Benz Arena having won their past three Bundesliga matches and most recently, die Roten also powered past Portuguese outfit Benfica in their Champions League quarter-finals match. However, given that Arturo Vidal's early goal was the only deciding factor, Bayern will have to step up their game in the away leg next week to make sure they book their spot in this season's semi-finals, as their opponents are very much still in this tie.
First up, of course, will be to pick up a fourth straight league win - and 12th consecutive - against a team that they have long dominated: Stuttgart. Like the hosts, Bayern Munich will also be missing several important players, with Arjen Robben, Holger Badstuber, Mehdi Benatia, and Jerome Boateng all unable to make the trip due to their respective injuries.
Bayern's last two Bundesliga wins were by 1-0 margins. Whilst three points are three points, throw in the match against Benfica and that makes it three across all competitions with a 1-0 result. For a team that usually has no trouble finding the back of the net, their performances as of late may be a source of concern to Guardiola, and he will be expecting to see his team step it up starting with this Saturday as they prepare to travel to Benfica's home ground next week.
Fortunately for the Spanish tactician, Bayern have a good track record against Stuttgart and have not conceded a goal against them since January 29, 2014. They cruised to a very comfortable 4-0 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season and despite their dip in form as of late, the visitors will be expected to return to Munich with all three points in hand.
Which channel is broadcasting Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich on TV or Online?
The Mercedes-Benz Arena will be hosting this clash between Stuttgart and Bayern Munich, or die Roten vs. die Roten on Saturday evening. However, if you are too far away to make it in person, no worries. LiveSoccerTV.com has put together some options to catch the match via TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some options for fans residing elsewhere in Germany and in the following countries:
- In the USA at 9.30 EST on: Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports 1 USA, Fox Sports GO, GOLTV USA
- In Germany at 15.30 CET on: Sky Go Deutschland, Sky Bundesliga 3/HD, TeleClub Sport Live, Sky Bundesliga 1/HD, Sport1.FM
- In Canada at 9.30 ET on: Sportsnet World Now
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich broadcast page for viewing times and options for your current location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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