FC Bayern and VfB Stuttgart cross swords for the 98th time on Saturday afternoon. No fixture in the Bundesliga's history has attracted a larger aggregate attendance, and on average the Swabians have taken fewer points against Bayern than against any other team. fcbayern.de has delved into the facts and stats prior to the clash.
WINNING STREAK
Munich are buoyed by a run of 14 straight wins in competitive fixtures against VfB, winning 11 Bundesliga matches and three cup ties. FC Bayern would equal their own Bundesliga record in case of another victory, 12 victories in a row against a single club. Only Bayern have achieved this feat so far, against Freiburg and Nürnberg.
THE RECORD
FC Bayern and VfB Stuttgart have faced off in 97 Bundesliga matches so far, and the record is clearly in favour of the German record champions. The Reds left the pitch as winners 60 times, losing 17 matches, with 20 games ending in a draw. On average the Swabians have taken only 0.73 points per match against FCB, conceding 197 goals along the way. Both numbers are record lows for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
UNBEATEN
Stuttgart appear to be Robert Lewandowski's favourite opponents. He has encountered VfB in eleven Bundesliga fixtures and has yet to lose, winning seven and drawing four matches. He has not met any other Bundesliga team as often without losing. The Poland international netted five times against Stuttgart, including a three-goal haul in November 2013.
CROWD-PLEASER
Stuttgart v Bayern has attracted more spectators than any other Bundesliga duel. A total of 5,414,663 fans flocked to the stadiums to watch a Southern derby, a Bundesliga record. On Saturday the full house in Stuttgart will boost this number by 60,000.
THE REFEREE
Bastian Dankert will be the man with the whistle for Saturday afternoon's clash. It is the tenth time that the sports scientist from Rostock takes charge of a match involving FC Bayern, who have yet to lose a fixture with Dankert on the pitch. Most recently the 35-year-old oversaw the 3-0 cup victory over Bochum in February. His assistants will be Harm Osmers and René Rohde, with Mike Pickel acting as fourth official.
