With just a point between them, it perhaps wasn’t surprising to see two European contenders play out an evenly-matched first half with the ball trapped in midfield for long spells.
Stuttgart, who had netted four times in each of their previous two matches across all competitions, were the first to go close at the half’s midway point when Jamie Leweling cut inside from the left and let fly, but his low effort drifted narrowly wide of the near post.
Leweling was the only player to stand out from a first period low on quality goalmouth action, with his looped cross from the left in the 43rd minute headed down by Nikolas Nartey into the path of Tiago Tomas, whose low half-volley was well kept out by Oliver Baumann.
Hoffenheim failed to register a single shot on target before the break, and they were similarly toothless following the restart.
Stuttgart stopper Alexander Nubel wasn’t called into action until the hour mark, when he held Albian Hajdari’s powerful volley, moments before the centre-back was caught up in controversy when he felled Tomas on the edge of the area immediately after being awarded a yellow card for a separate offence.
From the subsequent free-kick, Maximilian Mittelstadt’s forceful strike forced Baumann into a reaction save, before Akatan Karazor headed wide.
While the tempo certainly increased in the game’s final third, a bore draw always looked the most likely outcome, with this the first of Stuttgart’s last nine league games to produce less than three goals.
The hosts stay sixth despite missing out on a home victory for just the third time in 11 attempts this term, while Hoffenheim climb into the top four, even if only temporarily, although they now find themselves winless in their last two Bundesliga away fixtures.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim)