Bayern and Lewandowski aim for Stuttgart win and lots of goals – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Bayern Munich will be looking to stretch their winning Bundesliga streak against Stuttgart to four straight games when the two sides meet on Saturday.
Fresh from securing a berth in the Champions League quarter-finals, the perennial German champions take on a team they have put at least three goals past in each of their previous three top-flight meetings.
Odds-on favourites to claim all three points, the hosts have only succumbed to one loss in their last 27 Bundesliga fixtures against newly-promoted sides at the Allianz Arena (W24, D2).
Bayern Munich Preivew
Bayern have racked up three consecutive Bundesliga wins by an aggregate score of 12-4, netting precisely two first-half goals on each occasion.
As expected, Allianz Arena has been a fortress this season, with the Bavarians coming into this matchday as one of just three sides yet to lose a top-flight game at home so far (GP:12 – W9, D3).
Having failed to shut out their opposition in their last nine home Bundesliga matches, Hansi Flick’s men are on the longest wait for a home clean sheet since 2008.
However, ruthless in the attacking third, the reigning title-holders have netted a staggering 74 goals after only 25 Bundesliga outings, an all-time joint-high at this stage of the campaign.
Notably, Bayern have scored 30 second-half goals at home this term, four more than Stuttgart (26) have managed in their 13 away Bundesliga games overall.
Stuttgart Preview
The visitors have gone undefeated in five Bundesliga matches in a row (W3, D2) since suffering a dismal 5-2 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 20.
Low scoring has been a common theme in their recent top-flight fixtures as four of the last five have featured under 2.5 goals at full-time.
Away from home, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men have only won once in their previous five league games (D1, L3), conceding 2+ goals in each reverse in that sequence.
Stuttgart’s defensive frailties have seen them fail to keep a clean sheet in 84.62% of their away Bundesliga outings this season, though they’ve let in two or more goals in just four of their 13 such contests.
Their attacking set-up usually sparks into life after half-time, as witnessed by the fact they have notched up 65.38% of their total away league goals scored in the second half of play (17/26).
Team News
Bayern Munich
Out: Corentin Tolisso, Douglas Costa.
Doubts: Manuel Neuer, Kingsley Coman, Jerome Boateng.
Stuttgart
Out: Nicolas Gonzalez, Orel Mangala, Clinton Mola.
Doubts: N/A
Predicted Line-ups
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Alexander Nubel; Benjamin Pavard, Niklas Sule, David Alaba, Alphonso Davies; Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka; Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry; Robert Lewandowski.
Stuttgart (3-4-2-1): Gregor Kobel; Konstantinos Mavropanos, Waldemar Anton, Marc-Oliver Kempf; Silas Wamangituka, Wataru Endo, Naouirou Ahamada, Borna Sosa; Gonzalo Castro, Philipp Forster; Sasa Kalajdzic.