German Bundesliga
2009-11-21 - Vfb Stuttgart vs Hertha Berlin
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Mercedes-Benz Arena
Saturday, 21th November 2009 – kickoff 15:30
Vfb Stuttgart
Stuttgart have dropped to the 15th place after their last goalless draw against Monchengladbach. Now they are only one point above the relegation zone and they simply can not find their form.
They are on a terrible run of five consecutive defeats and have grabbed only three points (three draws) in the last eight rounds.
The reasons for Stuttgart's recent result troubles are well known. Despite a number of high-profile new signings, the departure of last season's top scorer Mario Gomez has not been compensated. Stuttgart have scored only ten goals in the Bundesliga all season and have failed to score in seven matches.
After the International break, they face the bottom side of Hertha which will not be an easy match for both sides. Five players were absent during the break and the team had trained without coach Babbel who was absent for three days to study for his trainer license in Cologne.
Due to a calf problem, Stefano Celozzi along with Sami Khedira and Martin Lanig have trained lightly in the training facilities and they are doubtful for this match.
Hertha Berlin
It is really interesting how a team like Hertha that had 19 wins last season and have had 63 points finishing in the fourth place now are on a certain way to be relegated.
Just four points from twelve matches-the season is a nightmare for this team. However, their coach Funkel refuses to give up hope and this team has to put lots of effort until Christmas to get as many points if they wish to stay where they are in the top flight football.
With five matches to go before the Bundesliga takes a short winter break, Hertha will have their first chance for closing the gap between the bottom sides this Saturday.
The biggest problem for the team is their lack of goals scored (7) compared to the number conceded (26).
Marco Pantelic and Andrej Voronin were not compensated up front, whilst defender Josip Simunic's move to Hoffenheim has also proven a painful one. The team has signed Arthur Wichniarek to bolster the attack, but the former Armenia Bielefeld man has failed to convince - not having managed a single goal in his first eight games for the club.
Another striker - Adrian Ramos was brought in from America de Cali, but he too has failed to score in seven games for his new club. Hertha`s currently most effective player is the Serbian midfielder Gojko Kacar, with two goals scored.
Raffael (bruised shin) and Patrick Ebert (bruised hand) probably will not play in this match.
The Betting Verdict
Perhaps the international break has arrived at just the right time for both sides to work out their problems.
This could be a turning point for both sides for the remainder of the season, but many of the last four or five matches were considered as a “turning point” and without a result.
Overall Hertha has a good record against Stuttgart as they have lost only two out of the last twelve matches against their opponents.
Stuttgart has a deeper squad but are far from impressive. Both sides are under big pressure, Stuttgart are favorites but i think that the price on them could have been bigger considering their recent slump.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Vfb Stuttgart-Hertha Berlin 1-1 (or 1-0)
