The current season has been full of positives for VfB so far. After an unsuccessful start against Union, the Swabians suffered only four further defeats and reached Christmas fourth in the table. The Swabians are also performing strongly in the UEFA Europa League: with four wins and two defeats, they are just one place away from direct qualification for the round of 16.

They do however have the weakest goal difference among the top six Bundesliga teams, having conceded the most goals in this group with 25, and having only conceded more than three goals once, against FC Bayern. With 32, Stuttgart are level with Borussia Dortmund and RasenBallsport Leipzig on goals scored, just two behind the sides below them, Hoffenheim and Leverkusen.

VfB should not be underestimated up front, and their play is focused on pace, depth, and courageous pressing. Deniz Undav is a symbol of this, second only to Harry Kane in the league’s top scorers. At the same time, former Union player Jamie Leweling, the Swabians' best assist provider, regularly brings extra punch with his athleticism, skill and precise passing.

The two teams have met 16 times so far. Union have won four, while Stuttgart has a slight edge with five wins. The other seven games all ended in draws, including the two relegation playoff matches in Union's promotion season, which ended 2-2 and 0-0.

For Rani Khedira and Carl Klaus, the match between Union and Stuttgart means a return to a club where they both played in the youth teams. While Klaus came up through all the youth ranks from 2004 to 2012, Khedira joined the Swabians a year later. The midfielder first played for the second team in 2012 making his first team debut shortly afterwards.

Almost a decade after Khedira, Wooyeong Jeong also laced up his boots in Stuttgart, scoring twice and getting three assists in his 29 appearances. Jamie Leweling will be another former Union player on the pitch. The attacker joined Union in the 2022/23 season before moving to Stuttgart on loan and then signing a permanent contract.

There is also a piece of shared history off the pitch in the shape of  Christian Gentner, now sporting director at VfB, who wore the Union jersey between 2019 and 2021, making 53 Bundesliga appearances. VfB sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth and loan player coordinator Helmut Schulte have both also worked for Union in the past. Conversely, Union's director of men’s professional football, Horst Heldt, has close ties to VfB Stuttgart. First as a player, then in a management position as sporting director and board member, where he played a key role in the Swabians' last championship in 2007.

Tom Rothe, Robert Skov, Tim Skarke, and Dmytro Bogdanov will not be available to the coaching team on Sunday. Derrick Köhn is also suspended after his red card in Augsburg.

“Stuttgart have the most ball possession in the league and can create a lot of power in the attack, so we need to come into the game with a stable defence," said Union head coach, Steffen Baumgart, during his press conference on Saturday  morning. "Overall, a good mix of attack and defence will be important. This is a big challenge, no matter who is on the pitch for VfB, and we are looking forward to it.” 

His opposite number, Sebastian Hoeneß, explained meanwhile: "We are happy about the good start to the new football year and the successful conclusion of the first half of the season. Our goal must be to take advantage of the momentum and approach the tough home match against Union with power and energy. A key to success will certainly be the balance in the different phases of the game, as well as the transition play and defending against their set pieces." 

For the away game in the MHPArena, 2,600 Unioner will travel to Stuttgart. The Union transport depot will also be present on site. Information about visiting the stadium can be found here (German)