Heynckes predicts tough battle in Stuttgart

Jupp Heynckes expects Stuttgart to up their game when his Bayern Munich team visit the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Sunday.

Stuttgart are seventh on the Bundesliga table, nine points behind leaders Bayern.

The Bavarian heavyweights ran out 6-3 and 5-3 winners in their previous two visits to Stuttgart, which came in successive league and cup matches last season.

Mario Gomez netted four times in those two encounters, and will be expected to provide Bayern’s chief threat against his former club this weekend.

Despite going into the clash as favourites, Heynckes is predicting nothing less than a committed performance from the home side.

“We know from last season and other past games at Stuttgart that they always give 80 or 90 percent when they come up against Bayern,” Heynckes said.

“It’s not usually possible to give a full 100 percent but nonetheless they give even more than they normally do.”

“It’s always a full house down there in Stuttgart, and there’s always a brilliant atmosphere.”

“I’m of the opinion that once more we need to go out there as the away team and take the game to our opponents, we want to go and win the match.”

“The team that wants it most will win, so we need to have a sense of purpose when we take the field.”

With two rounds of the season remaining until the northern hemisphere winter break, Bayern will be looking to pick up maximum points as they bid to top the table over the festive period.

Speaking from experience of his title triumphs as a player with Borussia Moenchengladbach, Heynckes knows leading at Christmas is no guarantee of lifting the Bundesliga title.

But the 66-year-old would still prefer to be in control ahead of the league’s resumption on January 20.

“It’s the time of year for statistics I suppose,” Heynckes said.

“I don’t know (how) many teams who are leading at the winter break go on to become champions.”

“I think 1970-71 as a player we weren’t leading after the first round of matches, but then we were champions at the end of the year.”

“It’s a good thought to be leading the championship at this point, to have games we’ve already won in the bank and to be able to look down on the opposition from above.”