Sammer looks to the summit

'Set our goals'
Stuttgart were knocked off top spot by VfL Wolfsburg after a surprise weekend defeat by SC Freiburg, but victory over Bremen would take them two points clear of their nearest rivals. Coach Matthias Sammer, however, is looking to the long term. "One game doesn't make a season," he said. "We have set our goals and defeat against Bremen won't change that. The important thing is to be better than the other teams over 34 games."

High stakes
This fixture last season saw a spectacular 4-4 draw, with Ailton netting twice for Bremen and Marcelo Bordon hitting a hat-trick for Stuttgart. Both players have since signed for FC Schalke 04, and Bremen captain Frank Baumann is not expecting another high-scoring affair as his fifth-placed side seek to narrow the gap on the leaders.

'Need a win'
"Both teams like to play exciting attacking football, but I don't think the fans will see as many goals as last time," Baumann said. "We need a win because if we lose, the gap to the leading teams will increase even more."

Augenthaler demands
Elsewhere, Bayer 04 Leverkusen will be after three points when they tackle DSC Arminia Bielefeld at the BayArena. "We need a win, because anything else wouldn't be enough. We have already dropped six or seven points that we shouldn't have dropped," Leverkusen coach Klaus Augenthaler said.

Hamburg improvement
In Wednesday's other matches, Hamburger SV will hope to continue their improved form under new coach Thomas Doll at home to Freiburg, high-flying 1. FSV Mainz 05 welcome FC Hansa Rostock, and Schalke are away to 1. FC Nürnberg.