Stuttgart vs Sparta Prague Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase

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After a magnificent and surprisingly impressive season last year, Stuttgart have begun this campaign in fairly tricky circumstances following a heavy turnover as they now welcome the Czech champions, Sparta Prague, this weekend.

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 1st October, 2024 - UK – 5:45pm / US ET – 12:45pm / US PT – 9:45am

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TNT Sports / US – Paramount+

STUTTGART PREVIEW: STUTTERING STUTTGART

Under the management of Sebastian Hoeness, Stuttgart managed to propel themselves from a relegation playoff to runners’ up in the space of a season last year. The Germans did lose some key players over the summer such as Waldemar Anton, Hiroki Ito and Serhou Guirassy and have, therefore, naturally started slower this time around.

That said, they began their 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in a game in which they were all square with around 20 minutes to go. They come into this one on the back of hammering Borussia Dortmund by five goals to one before a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg.

SPARTA PRAGUE PREVIEW: THE SPARK OF SPARTA

Czech champions Sparta Prague are back in the UEFA Champions League and they began their campaign in impressive fashion as they hammered Red Bull Salzburg by three goals to nil in the Czech capital a couple of weeks ago thanks to goals from Kaan Kairinen, Victor Olatunji and Qasim Laci.

They do, though, come into this one on the back of a surprise defeat at home to Sigma Olomouc in their most recent outing in the Czech First League at the weekend. The aforementioned Olatunji had given them an early lead in that game before three second-half Sigma goals turned the game on its head with a stoppage-time consolation notched by Ermal Krasniqi.

STUTTGART TEAM NEWS: DEFENSIVE ABSENTEES

After joining from Burnley this summer, Belgian defender Ameen Al Dakhil has been struggling with injury but he is now absent with illness alongside a couple of other starting defenders.

Former Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou is sidelined alongside Leonidas Stergiou with both Justin Diehl and Nicolas Nartey both also unavailable for the hosts.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Neubel; Vagnoman, Roualt, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Rieder, Millot, Leweling; Demirovic

UNAVAILABLE: Al Dakhil (Illness), Zagadou (Injured), Stergiou (Injured), Diehl (Injured), Nartey (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE:

SPARTA PRAGUE TEAM NEWS: COUPLE OF INJURIES

Sparta Prague made changes at the weekend but will be able to return to their absolute best eleven for this one with no fresh injury concerns from the defeat of Salzburg.

They do still have a couple of absentees as both Mathias Ross Jensen and Elias Cobbaut are both unavailable, whilst Roman Mokrovics is also a doubt for the visitors.

PREDICTED XI (3-4-3): Vindahl-Jensen; Vitik, Panak, Zeleny; Preciado, Kairinen, Laci, Wiesner; Birmancevic, Olatunji, Haraslin

UNAVAILABLE: Jensen (Injured), Cobbaut (Illness)

QUESTIONABLE: Mokrovics (Injured)

KEY STATS

• Stuttgart won their previous two UEFA competition matches at home against Czech teams; 4-1 vs Dukla Praha (1978/79 UEFA Cup third round first leg) and 2-0 vs Slavia Praha (1997/98 Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final second leg).
• Stuttgart are unbeaten in their last 16 home matches in all competitions (W12 D4). Since a 3-2 home defeat against Hoffenheim on 28 October 2023 in the Bundesliga.
• Stuttgart are without a win in their last seven UEFA competition matches (D3 L4).
• Stuttgart have won only three of their last 18 matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper (D5 L10).
• Stuttgart have only failed to score in one of their last 12 matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
• Stuttgart have scored three or more goals in each of their last six competitive matches at home.
• Sparta Praha have won six and drawn one of their previous seven UEFA competition matches this season.
• Sparta Praha have won their last 15 matches away from home in all competitions.
• Sparta Praha have not conceded a goal in their last three UEFA competition matches at home.
• Sparta Praha have not failed to score in their last 14 UEFA competition matches.
• Sparta Praha have won only one of their last nine UEFA competition matches against German teams (D4 L4).
• Sparta Praha have won their previous three UEFA competition matches away from home this season.

STUTTGART VS SPARTA PRAGUE PREDICTION

Stuttgart have started this season with just one defeat in their opening five matches in the Bundesliga but they haven’t been as fluent as they were last year, albeit evidently improving as we grow into the campaign. Sparta Prague started with an electric performance against Salzburg but, away from home, this one should be very different. With their home advantage, siding with Stuttgart seems the way to go for this one.

STUTTGART VS SPARTA PRAGUE TIP: STUTTGART TO WIN