VfB Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich preview - Dutt goes on the defensive

Posted Friday, February 06, 2015 by PA

Stuttgart's director of sport Robin Dutt has defended coach Huub Stevens following the goalless draw against Cologne in midweek.

Stevens is famed for repeatedly stressing that "zero goals must be conceded" but, with his side failing to score at all in 2015 so far, there is growing concern ahead of the visit of Bayern Munich this Saturday.

"This 0-0 could be worth its weight in gold come the end of the season," said Dutt in midweek, defending his coach's tactics.

"It's one of those results that we'll only know come the end of the season whether it has got us anywhere."

A repeat on Saturday would be viewed differently with a draw of any kind against Bayern regarded as a success these days, but the regular visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Arena may beg to differ.

They have seen their side win only once this season, score only four goals and concede 17 on home soil.

"When you are in a battle to avoid relegation, you have got to keep your cool," added Dutt.

Striking the right balance is what captain Christian Gentner would prefer, though.

"If we want to win, we've got to take a little bit more of a risk, albeit at the right moment," he said in the Stuttgarter Zeitung.

There would be few better moments than against Bayern on Saturday with the league leaders dropping five points in their first two games of the new year, showing a human side they had managed to keep under wraps for the past two seasons.

"We didn't play well against Wolfsburg, but I was happy with how we played against Schalke," said their coach Pep Guardiola.

He is still without the injured Rafinha and Franck Ribery as Bayern look to maintain an eight-point advantage over Wolfsburg at the top of the standings.