Stuttgart
Stuttgart’s promising streak came to an abrupt halt on Saturday as they experienced a 2-1 defeat against St. Pauli. This setback against a team fighting relegation kept Stuttgart in fifth place and opened up opportunities for Bayer Leverkusen to narrow the standings as the race for European positions intensifies.
This marks Stuttgart’s first loss in the Bundesliga since December 6, when they were defeated by Bayern Munich. Prior to this match, Sebastian Hoeneß’s squad enjoyed an impressive run, remaining unbeaten in their last seven league fixtures. Yet, St. Pauli posed a significant challenge, taking an early lead in the first half which they managed to sustain.
Stuttgart has been dominant against Köln recently, not suffering a defeat to them since December 2021. Earlier this season, Stuttgart emerged victorious with a 2-1 win after a decisive goal from Josha Vagnoman, and they have only lost once at home this season.
Tiago Tomás is back in the fold after recovering from a muscle injury that had sidelined him for the entirety of 2026 thus far. Meanwhile, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Lazar Jovanovic remain unavailable due to injuries, and Nikolas Nartey is not anticipated to participate. Angelo Stiller’s availability is uncertain as he is battling a cold.
Jeff Chabot is set to start against his former team.
Projected Lineup: Nübel, Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstädt, Karazor, Andrés, Leweling, El Khannouss, Führich, Undav
Köln
Following a disappointing conclusion to the previous year, Köln has embarked on 2026 with improved performances. They have only lost three out of their six outings, with those defeats against Bayern Munich, Freiburg, and RB Leipzig. This positive shift has allowed Effzeh to position themselves in 10th place, though they remain just four points away from the relegation zone.
Köln faced a challenging match last weekend, ultimately falling 2-1 to Leipzig after briefly equalizing in the second half. A subsequent goal from Christoph Baumgartner sealed the win for Leipzig, a team Köln had recently beaten 1-0 when facing relegation-threatened Wolfsburg.
On the road this season, Köln has struggled, securing victory in just two of their ten matches. Their last away win came against Hoffenheim in October 2025.
Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson’s participation in the upcoming game is uncertain due to illness. Dominique Heintz has returned to the squad, while Jahmai Simpson-Pusey remains out with an injury, alongside Linton Maina, Alessio Castro-Montes, Timo Hübers, and Luca Kilian.
Projected Lineup: Schwäbe, Sebulonsen, van den Berg, Özkacar, Thielmann, Martel, Krauß, Lund, Bülter, Kamiński, Ache
