Composure required

VfB Stuttgart turned the MHPArena into a fortress during the first half of the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign. Sebastian Hoeneß’s side have won seven of their nine matches in front of a capacity home crowd, only dropping points against league leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen (D) and TSG Hoffenheim (L). Having collected 22 of a possible 27 points on home soil, VfB currently have the joint second-best home record in the division. Bayern have also registered 22 points in front of their own fans, while Leverkusen have racked up 25.

VfB, third in the overall standings, will hope to add to that tally when they host fourth-placed Leipzig at 15:30 CET on Saturday. “Everyone knows about Leipzig’s quality – they’re capable of hurting any team,” said Maximilian Mittelstädt. “We know what to expect and will prepare ourselves as best we can. We have to bring composure back into our game, then we can turn things around.”