Arminia Bielefeld vs Stuttgart
, KO: 19:00 , Olympiastadion
No team outside the Bundesliga has won the DFB Pokal in over 30 years, and Arminia Bielefeld have every chance to change that on Saturday against Stuttgart. How spectacular would it be if Arminia somehow won the cup after Bologna recently won Coppa Italia and Crystal Palace won the FA Cup in England?
The Blues can already consider the current season successful as they achieved promotion to the second tier with time to spare. And while they were doing their thing, they also beat four Bundesliga teams en route to the DFB Pokal final – Union Berlin (2-0), Freiburg (3-1), Werder Bremen (2-1), and the recent champions Bayer Leverkusen (2-1).
On the other end, Stuttgart couldn't save their season, despite the three-match win streak at the end. It is fair to say that the Swabians underperformed on all fronts but the DFB Pokal, after finishing 2nd in the previous Bundesliga campaign. But winning the cup can save this otherwise forgettable season, as the champions get a place in the Europa League.
How the bookies view it: They underestimate the Blues again
Apparently, the bookies haven't learned their lesson after Arminia won five times as underdogs this season. Therefore, the betting advantage is once again steep, but this opens up more betting opportunities. Right now, you can pick Arminia Bielefeld at 11/2, the draw at 7/2, and Stuttgart at 1/2.
Recent head to head: Their last clash was heavily one-sided
Arminia and Stuttgart have met dozens of times since the mid-90s and rarely produced an uneventful clash. Since the Blues spent the last three seasons in the lower tiers, they haven't had many chances to meet. The last encounter was also in the DFB Pokal two seasons ago, when Stuttgart crushed them 6-0. But before that, the Reds were on a negative streak of five winless games against the Blues (D2, L3).
Players to watch: Woltemade deserves this trophy
Young Nick Woltemade is proving to be Stuttgart's best piece of business in recent years. The Reds signed him for free from Werder Bremen, and the German has produced a dozen highlights in the Bundesliga and four in the DFB Cup. He scored once in every appearance he made in the competition, but more importantly, he scored in three consecutive games over the last few weeks.
Probable line-ups
Arminia Bielefeld: Kaersken, Grosser, Russo, Schneider, Hagman, Schreck, Corboz, Sarenren Bazee, Oppie, Worl, Grodowski
Stuttgart: Nubel, Hendriks, Chabot, Jeltsch, Millot, Karazor,. Vagnoman, Mittelstadt, Leweling, Woltemade, Undav
Anything else catch the eye?
Arminia's last competitive defeat goes back to early March. Since then, the team won 10 out of its 12 fixtures in all competitions (D2). Another important stat shows that the Blues have scored in 17 consecutive matches. And in the DFB Pokal, they scored 2+ goals in all five rounds they featured in, including in each of the four ties with top-flight teams.
Stuttgart seem to have found their form at the right time, at least when it comes to the final. They had an otherwise horrible season compared to the previous one. And we believe that Arminia have already beaten enough Bundesliga sides and they will have a real chance in this final too.
We believe bookmakers made a mistake with the extreme betting difference and we expect to see a much closer game than they anticipated. In fact, we will place a wager on the draw in regulation, plus the BTTS market.
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