When we think of great Bundesliga rivalries involving Bayern Munich, we usually think of the encounters with Borussia Dortmund of the last 30 years or so. If we want to go more local, we certainly think of the cross-town derby with 1860 Munich, until the latter’s 2004 relegation from the Bundesliga and their fall into total obscurity years after that. One rivalry that is largely overlooked, however, is the regional encounter with VfB Stuttgart. This piece will be about the Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart Southern Derby and about what we can expect from Saturday’s 111th league edition of it.
The Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart Southern Derby
The History
In the previous 110 Bundesliga encounters of the Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart Southern Derby, the Bavarians have been victorious 69 times, with 22 draws and 19 wins for Stuttgart. Those 69 Bayern victories are a record for any team in the German top-flight against the same opponent.
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After three matches in all competitions without a win, the Munich side could certainly use triumph number 70 on Saturday. Also, the fact that Stuttgart beat out Thomas Tuchel’s former side to second-place in the Bundesliga last season, would make revenge all the sweeter.
Key Statistics
There are a number of facts and figures which express why Saturday’s Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart Southern Derby should be a top match. Especially when one looks at the offensive side of the pitch, there is a lot of quality on both sides. For example, Bayern lead the league with the most goals (20), while Stuttgart have the longest scoring streak for consecutive Bundesliga games (22).
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After Eintracht Frankfurt’s Bundesliga leading goalscorer Omar Marmoush, (eight goals), the top scorers from each of these two teams with Harry Kane and Ermedin Demirović (with five goals each) are tied for second place in the league’s goalscoring charts.
Aside from this, both sides like to have the ball. Bayern lead the league with an average of 70% possession, while Stuttgart are second in that statistic, averaging 63%.
Hoeneß vs. Hoeneß
Another angle to look at this encounter from is a family aspect. Yes, Uli Hoeneß may only be Bayern’s honorary president on paper currently, but he made the Bavarian club what it is today and many people close to the Munich giants suspect that he still pulls the strings from behind the scenes there.
Meanwhile, his nephew Sebastian is the beloved VfB Stuttgart coach who took over at the big club, when they were last in the Bundesliga in early 2023, saving them from relegation and leading his team to second-place in the Bundesliga the following year. This family duel side of the encounter may sound irrelevant, but it always gets brought up when it is time for the Bayern vs Stuttgart Southern Derby since the younger Hoeneß has been on the job there.
