VfB Stuttgart will face SC Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal semi-final on Thursday, hoping to reach the final for the second consecutive year after winning the cup last season. Stuttgart, the defending champions, narrowly avoided elimination in their last match against Eintracht Braunschweig, winning a penalty shootout after a 4-4 draw. They have not conceded a goal since then but are coming off two recent league defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Key players Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic are expected to return to the starting lineup after missing previous matches due to suspension and limited playtime, respectively. Freiburg, under coach Julian Schuster, is on a winning streak, having secured victories in their last four matches, including a notable win in the Europa League. They are currently climbing the Bundesliga standings, aiming for European qualification. Max Rosenfelder and Patrick Osterhage will miss the match due to injuries, but Philipp Lienhart, Niklas Beste, and Yuito Suzuki are set to return to Freiburg's lineup. Both teams have shown strong performances in their previous encounters this season, setting the stage for an exciting semi-final clash.