Why VfB Stuttgart will beat Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League
Having made it two wins from two with a 3-0 victory at Slovan Bratislava, and with their forward players hitting form, VfB Stuttgart will be more confident than ever when they host Atlético Madrid in Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League fixture at the MHP Arena.
Stuttgart may not have played their most vintage football in Wednesday’s win over Slovan, but the victory showcased some important things. Most notable was the attacking depth available to the Bundesliga side, who fielded a front four consisting of Deniz Undav, Dženan Pejčinović, Chris Führich and Bilal El Khannouss. The likes of Jamie Leweling and Ermedin Demirović had to make their impact from the bench - which they did.
Leweling was an instant nuisance on the right flank and combined well with fellow substitute Lorenz Assignon. Demirović, meanwhile, did what he does best, finding himself in exactly the right position to head home Assignon’s cross late on. That goal was his fourth in the Champions League this season, a number that sees him joint top of the goalscoring standings.
Stuttgart’s substitutes also showcased the team’s flexibility, with El Khannouss swapping flanks to accommodate Leweling. The Moroccan is just as comfortable operating behind the striker, a role assumed on Wednesday night by captain Undav - another player capable of playing in multiple attacking positions.
All of this was in the absence of Nikolas Nartey and Tiago Tomás, two more versatile attackers, who were unavailable through injury.
Perhaps the biggest plus for Stuttgart, though, was that Undav was the one to break the deadlock. The Germany international has had a quiet start to the campaign, but now that he has his first goal under his belt, expect him to become the Swabians’ talisman once more.
Watch: 'Cometh the hour, cometh Deniz Undav!'
Stuttgart only won three of their eight league-phase fixtures in the 2024/25 Champions League, ending the campaign in 26th place. However, positive results on Matchdays 6 and 7 indicated they were getting to grips with elite European football once more.
Last season’s UEFA Europa League campaign was also solid and, coupled with Stuttgart’s strong start to the current campaign, the Swabians are now on a run of six wins from seven league-phase matches.
Wednesday’s triumph also made it four wins from five in Europe’s showpiece club competition. Prior to that run, Die Schwaben had only picked up four wins in their previous 22. Clearly, the squad’s increased depth now means they are more capable of competing on multiple fronts.
And, in talents such as Angelo Stiller, Undav and El Khannouss, they also have players who are used to competing at the highest level.
Another element that can only aid Stuttgart is the cracking atmosphere the supporters conjure up at the MHP Arena - particularly on European nights. Expect the home fans to create a wall of noise when the two teams emerge from the tunnel on Tuesday evening.
Even with all their European pedigree, Atlético will find their trip to Stuttgart anything but straightforward.
