Predictions Bundesliga Gameweek 33 - Augsburg vs Stuttgart

Bundesliga - Augsburg vs Stuttgart
Match Time: 11-05-2024 02:30 Saturday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Augsburg

Augsburg have made considerable improvements this term and looked to be on course to secure at least a Europa League qualification spot earlier this year.

However, their top-six hopes have suffered a significant blow following a run of four defeats across their last five Bundesliga matches, including last weekend's heavy 5-1 loss at Borussia Dortmund.

Die Fuggerstadter were three goals down inside the opening 29 minutes before Ruben Vargas pulled one back. However, the glimmer of hope that they had for a miraculous comeback quickly evaporated, as Marco Reus added a fourth for BVB in the 34th minute, before Youssoufa Moukoko completed the rout midway through the second half.

Jess Thorup's men have subsequently slipped to ninth in the Bundesliga table and sit six points behind the top six with only two games remaining. A top-seven finish - which would guarantee a Europa Conference League playoff spot for next season - remains a realistic target for Augsburg, though, as they sit just two points behind seventh-placed Freiburg.

Having said that, ending the season on a high could prove challenging for Augsburg, as they have won just two of their last 11 Bundesliga meetings with Friday's opponents Stuttgart and will enter their final match of the campaign as underdogs against unbeaten champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Stuttgart

Stuttgart are on cloud nine at present and their magnificent 2023-24 campaign reached new heights last weekend when they claimed a memorable 3-1 home victory over Bayern Munich.

Leonidas Stergiou's first-half opener was cancelled out by a Harry Kane penalty, and the contest looked to be heading for a draw until Stuttgart substitutes Jeong Woo-yeong and Silas scored in the final seven minutes to secure all three points for the hosts and their first home win over Bayern since 2007. The victory for Sebastian Hoeness's side took place just a few days after they guaranteed a top-four finish and Champions League football for the first time since 2009-10.

This time last year, Stuttgart were fighting for their lives at the foot of the table and survived as a result of their success in the relegation playoff. Die Roten are now bidding to secure a top-two finish in the Bundesliga for the first time since 2006-07 when they won the title, and victory on Friday would see them climb into second spot ahead of Bayern, who play host to Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Victory would also see Stuttgart equal two club records, one for the most wins (22) in a Bundesliga season, matching their title-winning campaigns in 1991-92 and 2006-07, and another for collecting the most points in a 34-game league season (70 in 2006-07).

Stuttgart head into Friday's contest having failed to win their previous two visits to Augsburg, losing 4-1 in October 2021 and drawing 1-1 in April 2023, but they did come out on top by a three-goal margin in the reverse fixture earlier this season and will be confident of success this time around.

Prediction: Augsburg 1-2 Stuttgart