Two teams next to one another in the Bundesliga table will meet in the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday (KO 18:30 CET) – FSV Mainz 05 and VfB Stuttgart. The Baden-Württemberg side will want to draw strength from their victories in the DFB-Pokal so far this season and to not focus on their away record in the Bundesliga to date this term.
Newly-promoted Stuttgart have given themselves a good base to build on in the second half of the season thanks to their impressive home form. However, their form away from home has been far from impressive. With just one point, Hannes Wolf’s side have been the weakest team away from home in the Bundesliga this season. They can take joy, however, from their two away wins in this season’s DFB-Pokal, despite the wins being against lower-division opposition. In the first round, the three-time DFB-Pokal winners overcame Energie Cottbus, top of the Regionalliga North East table, but only on penalties. Meanwhile the 3-1 victory against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who are bottom of the 2. Bundesliga, in the second round was a lot more comfortable.
Stuttgart without a win in Mainz since 2005
Mainz have also not put in particularly stellar performances to reach the round of 16 this season, despite this being the first time that they have reached this stage of the competition since the 2012/13 season. They beat the Regionalliga North side Lüneberger SK 3-1 before needing extra-time to overcome second-division outfit Holstein Kiel 3-2. The furthest Mainz have gone in the DFB-Pokal was when they reached the semi-finals in the 2008/09 season. Mainz haven’t won in the Bundesliga in five games. In their 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen on Sunday, they did at least get a moral victory, equalising in the final seconds, having trailed 2-0 at half-time. In contrast to that, Stuttgart missed a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of their home game against Bayern München to lose 1-0 and missed out on getting a surprise point.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart are not on good form in Mainz, having not won there since September 2005 (2-1). Since then, there have been four draws and four losses for VfB in eight away games there. The only clash between the two in the DFB-Pokal came in the 1983/84 season, with Stuttgart running out 1-0 victors just as they did on Matchday 2 of the current season. That game saw the reunion between Stuttgart and attacker Alexandru Maxim, who had moved from Stuttgart to Mainz in the summer. VfB don’t have particularly fond memories of games against Bundesliga opposition in the cup, though. They have lost all of their last four cup ties against Bundesliga teams.
Two teams next to one another in the Bundesliga table will meet in the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday (KO 18:30 CET) – FSV Mainz 05 and VfB Stuttgart. The Baden-Württemberg side will want to draw strength from their victories in the DFB-Pokal so far this season and to not focus on their away record in the Bundesliga to date this term.
Newly-promoted Stuttgart have given themselves a good base to build on in the second half of the season thanks to their impressive home form. However, their form away from home has been far from impressive. With just one point, Hannes Wolf’s side have been the weakest team away from home in the Bundesliga this season. They can take joy, however, from their two away wins in this season’s DFB-Pokal, despite the wins being against lower-division opposition. In the first round, the three-time DFB-Pokal winners overcame Energie Cottbus, top of the Regionalliga North East table, but only on penalties. Meanwhile the 3-1 victory against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who are bottom of the 2. Bundesliga, in the second round was a lot more comfortable.
Stuttgart without a win in Mainz since 2005
Mainz have also not put in particularly stellar performances to reach the round of 16 this season, despite this being the first time that they have reached this stage of the competition since the 2012/13 season. They beat the Regionalliga North side Lüneberger SK 3-1 before needing extra-time to overcome second-division outfit Holstein Kiel 3-2. The furthest Mainz have gone in the DFB-Pokal was when they reached the semi-finals in the 2008/09 season. Mainz haven’t won in the Bundesliga in five games. In their 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen on Sunday, they did at least get a moral victory, equalising in the final seconds, having trailed 2-0 at half-time. In contrast to that, Stuttgart missed a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of their home game against Bayern München to lose 1-0 and missed out on getting a surprise point.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart are not on good form in Mainz, having not won there since September 2005 (2-1). Since then, there have been four draws and four losses for VfB in eight away games there. The only clash between the two in the DFB-Pokal came in the 1983/84 season, with Stuttgart running out 1-0 victors just as they did on Matchday 2 of the current season. That game saw the reunion between Stuttgart and attacker Alexandru Maxim, who had moved from Stuttgart to Mainz in the summer. VfB don’t have particularly fond memories of games against Bundesliga opposition in the cup, though. They have lost all of their last four cup ties against Bundesliga teams.
