VfB Stuttgart and Hoffenheim share spoils in closely contested top-six battle

VfB Stuttgart 0-0 Hoffenheim

Stuttgart, who sat sixth in the table, welcomed fifth-placed Hoffenheim to the MHP Arena with just a point separating the sides. Both teams had won eight of their 14 matches heading into this contest, but it was Christian Ilzer's visitors who arrived with the better recent form, having claimed victory in six of their previous eight league outings. Stuttgart had ended a difficult spell with an impressive 4-0 win at Werder Bremen last time out, and Sebastian Hoeneß – facing the club he previously managed for two seasons – was looking for consecutive victories to strengthen VfB's European push before the winter break.

The opening 45 minutes perfectly illustrated the contrasting styles of these two sides. Hoffenheim started brightly, pressing intensely and looking to break forward quickly, with Fisnik Asllani heavily involved. Stuttgart, meanwhile, attempted to establish their possession game, but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities early on. The hosts gradually found their rhythm, and Jamie Leweling provided their first meaningful attempt in the 23rd minute, firing narrowly wide from outside the box. The best chance of the half fell to Tiago Tomás, who was denied brilliantly by Oliver Baumann from close range after Nikolas Nartey flicked on Leweling's cross.