Stuttgart take on the visitors Freiburg in the semifinal match of DFB Pokal. The match will be played on Thursday, April 23rd at MHPArena (Stuttgart).
Stuttgart have generally been successful under Sebastian Hoeneß, who initially saved them from relegation in the Bundesliga via the play-out. Even last season, despite an underwhelming Champions League campaign and a mid-table finish, they made up for it by winning the domestic cup. Their recent form shows a team capable of delivering strong performances, even against high-level opponents. They have been particularly effective in attack, often creating numerous chances and maintaining pressure throughout matches. This season, the Europa League run was less impressive — they were eliminated in the round of 16 by FC Porto. However, they are still confidently defending their cup-holder status and continue to compete for a top-4, or even top-3, finish in the league. After a big win over Hamburger SV, they lost in the last round, but that came against FC Bayern Munich, who were securing the title — so a 2–4 defeat in Munich was hardly surprising.
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Freiburg are also competing on several fronts. “The Breisgau Brazilians” could have been one of the sensations of last season, but fell just short, finishing 5th after being overtaken late on by Borussia Dortmund. Under their current coach Julian Schuster, they played in the Europa League rather than the Champions League they had hoped for. Their recent performances have been quite strong, especially in European competition where they have shown attacking consistency. At the same time, they have struggled domestically, which has affected their overall position in the standings. They enjoyed a solid European run, reaching the quarter-finals and defeating RC Celta de Vigo twice, scoring three goals in each match. In the league, however, a dip in form means they are unlikely to finish higher than 7th, and even that position is under threat from Eintracht Frankfurt. Still, they managed to beat both 1. FSV Mainz 05 and 1. FC Heidenheim in their last two matches.
In the last four encounters, the teams have alternated home victories. Stuttgart are expected to secure a relatively comfortable home win. However, this matchup should also produce entertaining football — backing over 2.5 total goals looks like the right choice in this clash for a place in the final.
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
