On Sunday, Stuttgart and Mainz faced off in the league, and today, they meet again in the second round of the DFB-Pokal, with Mainz hosting the Swabians.
Stuttgart’s coach, Sebastian Hoeneß, made headlines with a bold decision to change his entire starting lineup compared to their previous league match. However, a player sustaining an injury during warm-ups disrupted those plans, leading to ten changes instead of eleven. Prior to the league match, he had already implemented ten changes, aiming to rest his players after their Europa League outing against Fenerbahce Istanbul, which ended in a narrow 0-1 loss. This strategic shift paid off, enabling Stuttgart to secure a 2-1 victory in their last league match.
As the Europa League players return to action, the squad welcomes a fresh addition in the form of a new goalkeeper, Fabian Bredlow. When questioned about his significant lineup alterations, Hoeneß remarked on Sky that distinguishing the context is crucial. He noted that the team that played in Istanbul only six days ago had previously played together in similar configurations throughout the season, and thus, he didn’t see it as a particularly bold move.
The Stuttgart lineup for today’s match is as follows: Bredlow – Jaquez, Chabot, Hendriks – Assignon, Karazor, Stiller, Mittelstädt – Bouanani, Undav, El Khannouss. Mainz will field: Zentner – Widmer, Hanche-Olsen, Kohr – Lee, Maloney, Sano, Mwene – Nebel, Amiri – Sieb.
This matchup promises to be an exciting clash, as both teams look to advance further in the prestigious DFB-Pokal tournament, showcasing their depth and resilience.