Football returns to action in Europe’s top leagues tonight, featuring Stuttgart vs. Union Berlin in the Bundesliga’s Matchday 13 opener, and Lille vs. Brest and Auxerre vs. Paris Saint-Germain as part of Matchday 14 in Ligue 1.
Sebastian Hoeness’s Stuttgart, last season’s breakout team with a second-place finish behind champions Bayer Leverkusen, has faced challenges this year, balancing domestic and Champions League commitments. The Die Roten have collected 17 points from 12 matches (4 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses), leaving them three points off sixth-placed Freiburg and a potential European spot.
Union Berlin, led by Bo Svensson, has also struggled, managing just one point less than Stuttgart. The Die Schlosserjungs ("The Iron Ones") are winless in their last five league games, with their most recent victory dating back to October 20 (2-0 against Holstein Kiel). Despite defensive strength—their 11 goals conceded rank second-best behind Bayern Munich—Union Berlin's attack has been lackluster, scoring just 10 goals, the joint-worst in the league alongside St. Pauli and Bochum.
Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain keeps lead, responding to De Zerbi’s Marseille
14 Jan - 10:44 •
2' min
Stuttgart, on the other hand, has been both prolific and vulnerable, scoring 23 goals but conceding 21. In their last 13 meetings, Stuttgart holds a slight edge with four wins, while Union Berlin has three victories, and six matches ended in draws.
Lille, under Bruno Genesio, sits fourth with 23 points from 13 games. Unbeaten in the league since September 13 (1-0 loss to Saint-Étienne), the team has recorded four wins and five draws in their last nine matches. Jonathan David, their top scorer with nine goals, leads the attack as they seek to bounce back from a 2-2 draw against bottom-placed Montpellier.
Brest, managed by Eric Roy, is 11th with 16 points (5 wins, 1 draw, 7 losses). The team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 home victory over Strasbourg in their last outing. Brest has been one of Ligue 1’s least-likely teams to draw, with just one this season, matching Auxerre and Saint-Étienne and trailing only Le Havre, who have none.
League leaders Paris Saint-Germain, coached by Luis Enrique, travel to Auxerre looking to extend their lead at the summit. PSG, unbeaten in their last six matches (five wins and one draw), has the league’s best attack (37 goals scored) and tightest defense (11 goals conceded). With 33 points, the Parisians hold a seven-point advantage over second-placed Marseille and Monaco.
Auxerre, promoted this season and coached by Christophe Pélissier, has made a solid start, sitting on 19 points (6 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses) with an even goal difference (21 scored, 21 conceded). Despite losing their last match to Toulouse, Auxerre had previously won three straight games and five of their last seven.
