Fulham vs VfB Stuttgart — Tips & Analysis

VfB Stuttgart +0.5: Fulham do not score enough to boss this one, and that is why we want Stuttgart. Fulham manage under a goal a game, and their games average 2 goals in total. Only 6 of their last 15 games had 3 or more goals. Alvaro Arbeloa is new in charge and is still teaching his ideas, days before the league starts. He has also lost Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson, Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic from the squad. Stuttgart bring the better attack. They score 2 goals a game and have won 6 of their last 15. They will get their moments at Craven Cottage, and they only need to take one. The two clubs have never played each other before, so there is no history to lean on. Both managers are protecting starters a week out from their league openers. That points to a careful, controlled night rather than an open one. A 1-1 tie is the likely outcome, and Stuttgart coming through without a loss is what we are backing. The worry is that Stuttgart are not solid at the back. They have lost by 2 or more goals in 4 of their last 15 games, so a bad twenty minutes can end this. A friendly can also turn on which coach empties his bench first. We are happy to side with Stuttgart.