Stuttgart vs RB Leipzig Prediction: Simons to help steer RBL to DFB-Pokal final

There was a huge shock in the first of the DFB-Pokal semi-finals on Tuesday as reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen lost 2-1 at third-tier Arminia Bielefeld. A huge opportunity presents itself, then, for the winner of the last final-four tie on Wednesday (19:45, DFB Play) between Stuttgart and RB Leipzig, who face off at MHPArena.

Below are my Stuttgart vs RB Leipzig predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Anrie Chase, Justin Diehl (both muscle), Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee), Nikolas Nartey and Luca Raimund (both thigh) are out injured for Stuttgart, whose 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt last Saturday extended their winless run to six games.

Josha Vagnoman is also a doubt with a muscle issue.

Football Odds

Ameen Al-Dakhil was shown a red card for Stuttgart at the weekend, but will be available as his two-match ban doesn't apply to the cup.

Leonidas Stergiou has been suspended for Die Roten's last two games following his dismissal in a 2-2 draw with Holstein Kiel last month, but the Swiss defender will come back into the reckoning for Wednesday's DFB-Pokal semi-final.

Deniz Undav hasn't scored since February 2 and has been utilised from the bench for their last two matches, but the Germany international could be called upon from the off against Leipzig.

Marco Rose was sacked as Leipzig head coach after their 1-0 Bundesliga defeat by Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, with Zsolt Low, who worked as Thomas Tuchel's assistant manager at Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, subsequently appointed as his successor until the end of the season.

Low's first starting XI as Leipzig boss definitely won't feature Benjamin Henrichs (Achilles), Antonio Nusa (knee), Assan Ouedraogo and Xaver Schlager (both hamstring), who are all out injured.

Kevin Kampl (illness) is doubtful, but experienced shot-stopper Peter Gulacsi will be back in the squad after dealing with a bug of his own.

However, Maarten Vandewvoordt has started all their previous DFB-Pokal ties this season, so it remains to be seen whether Gulasci is given the nod.

Stuttgart vs RB Leipzig Odds

Stuttgart haven't tasted success since a 2-1 Bundesliga victory at Borussia Dortmund on February 8, but they are 19/20 favourites to triumph inside regulation time on Wednesday, implying a win probability of 51.3%. Leipzig, meanwhile, are 13/5, or a 27.8% chance, to mark Low's debut in the dugout with a win.

The draw, which would send the tie to extra time, is priced at 11/4, and both teams to score in 90 minutes is 1/2.

Undav (13/10) heads the anytime goalscorer market, followed by teammates Ermedin Demirovic (11/8) and El Bilal Toure (13/8). Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko (both 15/8) are considered most likely anytime goalscorers for the visitors.

Anytime Goalscorer - Xavi Simons (RBL) @ 11/4

Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons is enjoying another productive season in front of goal, netting eight times in 26 games for Leipzig. He's just two behind his tally for the previous campaign when he scored 10 goals in 43 matches.

The 21-year-old has also struck twice for the Netherlands in 2024/25, most recently notching against Spain in the second leg of Oranje's Uefa Nations League tie, which made it four goals in his last nine appearances for club and country before his weekend blank against Monchengladbach.

Simons has faced Stuttgart twice in his career, racking up four goal contributions across those two contests. He scored and registered two assists in Leipzig's 5-1 thrashing of Stuttgart last season, and in Die Roten Bullen's 2-1 defeat at MHPArena earlier this term, he set up Sesko's strike.

Considering Openda has scored just twice in his last 14 appearances, and Sesko has just three in his last 13 for club and country, Simons looks like the value pick in the anytime goalscorer market on Wednesday at 11/4.

Stuttgart haven't kept a clean sheet in their last seven games and have shipped 10 goals across their last four, so Simons should be confident of troubling their back line.

To Win Tie - RB Leipzig @ 6/4

This is a difficult game to predict with neither side in good form.

On the one hand, Stuttgart are at home against a club that are winless in their last eight away matches and that have just sacked their manager. Die Roten also won January's league meeting at MHPArena, fighting back from a half-time deficit to score twice before the hour mark through Jacob Bruun Larsen and Nick Woltemade.

Wednesday's hosts have been installed as odds-on favourites, and for good reason.

However, will we see the old 'new manager bounce' from Leipzig? They have better players at their disposal than Stuttgart, with the likes of Sesko and Simons continually linked with moves to some of the world's biggest clubs.

It should also be noted that the Red Bull side are five points and five places ahead of Stuttgart in this season's Bundesliga, so despite their own travails, things have been worse for Sebastian Hoeness and his charges, although expectations aren't as high for them.

This tie could well go into extra time, and potentially a penalty shootout, so I think 6/4 for the visitors to win by any means could be worth backing here. The longer it goes on, the more pressure will be placed on the hosts, who could eventually crumble.

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