Real Madrid vs Stuttgart Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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14-time and defending champions Real Madrid have had an ‘iffy’ start to life in La Liga this season but Carlo Ancelotti and his side are European football royalty so will look to begin with a bang at the Bernabeu against returning qualifiers, Stuttgart.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 17th September, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TNT Sports / US – Paramount+, ViX
REAL MADRID PREVIEW: LOS BLANCOS LOOKING TO MAKE IT WORK
Real Madrid stole headlines this summer with the signing of France captain Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain. Arguably the best player in the world at the moment but that tag doesn’t necessarily mean he will fit in and help a Madrid team defending the double from last year.
He did score in his first competitive game for the club as they won the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta last month and does now have three goals in his last two La Liga games, albeit two coming from the penalty spot. Madrid have stuttered at the start of this season with injuries and tactical confusion meaning they are already four points back on Barcelona in Spain.
STUTTGART PREVIEW: STUTTERING START FOR STUTTGART
Last season, under the management of Sebastian Hoeness who reportedly rejected the Bayern Munich job this summer, Stuttgart went from the relegation playoff in May 2023 to propelling themselves into the UEFA Champions League for this season with a remarkable second placed finish in the Bundesliga.
Key men have departed over the summer, though, such as Hiroki Ito, Waldemar Anton and Serhou Guirassy. Things have started slowly for them this time around with just one point from their opening two matches but they come into this one on the back of an impressive 3-1 win away at Borussia-Park against Borussia Monchengladbach at the weekend.
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: ALABA CLOSE BUT NO BRAHIM
Austrian international defender David Alaba is unavailable for this week but he is nearing a return from an ACL injury and there is a sign of hope in the fact he has been named in their UEFA Champions League squad.
Their lobsided left-hand side will not have the safety net of being able to call upon the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos or Brahim Diaz from the substitutes bench with all three out injured for this one.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Fran Garcia; Fede Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
UNAVAILABLE: Alaba (Injured), Camavinga (Injured), Dani Ceballos (Injured), Brahim Diaz (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
STUTTGART TEAM NEWS: ISSUES FOR STUTTGART
Following the aforementioned departures of defenders Hiroki Ito and Waldemar Anton, Stuttgart will be frustrated that Leonidas Stergiou is unavailable and summer signing centre-back Ameen Al-Dakhil, from Burnley, is also not playing.
In attack, Stuttgart have the likes of Chris Fuhrich, Ermedin Demirovic and Deniz Undav to try and get at what may well still be a Madrid defence and team lacking cohesion and clarity at both ends of the pitch.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-1-1): Neubel; Vagnoman, Chase, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Fuhrich, Karazor, Stiller, Leweling; Undav; Demirovic
UNAVAILABLE: Al Dakhil (Injured), Stergiou (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Kratzig (Injured)
KEY STATS
- This is the first UEFA competition match between these two teams.
- Real Madrid have lost only one of their last 21 UEFA competition matches against German teams (W14 D6).
- Real Madrid have lost only one of their last 23 UEFA competition home games against German teams (W17 D5). They are unbeaten in the last ten (W7 D3), since a 4-3 defeat by Schalke in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16.
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 14 UEFA competition matches (W10 D4). This includes 13 UEFA Champions League matches (W9 D4).
- Real Madrid have only failed to score in one of their last 33 UEFA competition matches.
- Real Madrid have won 14 of their last 16 UEFA Champions League group stage matches (D1 L1).
- Real Madrid have won their Matchday 1 fixture in 15 of their last 17 UEFA Champions League campaigns (L2).
- Real Madrid have not lost a competitive match at home since a 3-2 defeat against Villarreal on 8 April 2023 in their domestic league.
- Kylian Mbappé needs two goals to become the ninth player to reach the total of 50 goals scored in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
- Stuttgart are without a win in their last six UEFA competition matches (D3 L3).
- Stuttgart have won only three of their previous 15 UEFA competition matches against Spanish teams (D4 L8). However, they did win the two most recent fixtures, they defeated Getafe 1-0 at home and 3-0 away in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage.
- Stuttgart have not won in their previous six UEFA Champions League matches against Spanish teams (D2 L4).
- Stuttgart lost only one of their six matches when they last featured in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2009/10 (W2 D3).
REAL MADRID VS STUTTGART PREDICTION
Stuttgart have been stubborn in defence and will believe they have what it takes to cause Real Madrid, still in transition, some issues going forward. The star power at Madrid will make them favourites for pretty much any match but they are yet to really click into gear. That said, there will be something special about the UEFA Champions League anthem bellowing out to the all-white stadium of the Bernabeu with Kylian Mbappe making his Madrid debut in the competition. Madrid winning comfortably is still to be expected, despite some concerns.
REAL MADRID VS STUTTGART TIP: REAL MADRID TO WIN
