Stuttgart coach Jurgen Kramny has urged his players to "rise to our own challenge" as they seek a dramatic escape from relegation on the final match day.
In early April, Stuttgart appeared to be heading towards another year of top-flight football but, after picking up just one point from their last seven games, the 2007 Bundesliga champions are on the brink of being relegated for the first time in 41 years.
Hannover are already down, but the final two places in the relegation zone are yet to be decided, with Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt separated by only three points ahead of Saturday's games.
Stuttgart are in the final automatic relegation spot on 33 points, with a goal difference of minus 23, while Bremen are in the relegation playoff place on 35 points and Frankfurt are a point ahead in the final position of safety.
On Saturday, Bremen, whose goal difference is minus 16, will face Frankfurt, whose goal difference is minus 17.
Stuttgart travel to Wolfsburg on Saturday desperately needing a win and for Frankfurt to beat Bremen, which would allow them to sneak into 16th and set up a two-legged playoff with the third-placed side in the second tier, Nurnberg.
Kramny said on Thursday: "For us, the game in Wolfsburg is a final in the hope of making use of the next chance. We must rise to our own challenge.
"We will be prepared to take it to the limit. It's VfB Stuttgart as a club that's in the foreground. We are all aware of that, so the team must prove that with the spirit and footballing ability they display on the pitch. We will all be pulling together."
#Kramny: "Rise to our challenge!" #VfB travel to Wolfsburg with determined intention of taking all 3 points. #WOBVfB pic.twitter.com/FbNp6pKXih
- VfB Stuttgart_int (@VfB_int) May 13, 2016
Kramny was in a similar position as a player with Jurgen Klopp's Mainz in 2004, although he was then seeking promotion to the Bundesliga.
Mainz had trailed third-placed Alemannia Aachen by two points before the final match day and he recalled: "We needed to win at Trier and had to hope that Alemannia didn't win. It worked out."
Bremen and Frankfurt face a more straightforward situation.
Frankfurt will survive with a win or a draw, while 2004 champions Bremen need to win to escape the drop zone. For Bremen, a draw will be enough to hold onto the relegation playoff spot unless Stuttgart beat Wolfsburg by seven or more goals.