Real Madrid will kick off their Champions League title defense tonight as they take on last season’s surprise German team.
This will also mark Kylian Mbappé’s debut in the competition for the Merengue, a tournament where he has often faced defeat against Real Madrid in the past. Carlo Ancelotti’s team hopes to begin their Champions League campaign on a stronger note than their La Liga start.
In their opening league match, Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw against Mallorca before bouncing back with home victories over Valladolid (3-0) and Real Betis (2-0). Over the past weekend, Real Madrid faced Real Sociedad in La Liga, aiming to close the gap on an in-form FC Barcelona.
Stuttgart finished 3rd in the Bundesliga last season, a surprising feat under the leadership of Guirassy, who is unfortunately no longer with the club and will not be part of their Champions League campaign.
This marks Stuttgart’s first appearance in the Champions League since the 2009-10 season, when they were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona. However, the Reds have had a mixed start this season.
They lost the German Super Cup to Bayer Leverkusen in a penalty shootout and suffered a defeat in their Bundesliga opener against Freiburg (3-1). In their second Bundesliga match, they played out a 3-3 draw against Mainz. Stuttgart tried to improve their fortunes last weekend against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Real Madrid faces several absences, including Joan Martinez (4th-choice defender), David Alaba (returning in October), Camavinga (injured), and Dani Ceballos (out for 2 months). Additionally, key players like Jude Bellingham, Ferland Mendy, Arda Güler, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Éder Militão were expected to feature last weekend against Real Sociedad.
Kylian Mbappé, with 3 goals in his first 5 matches for Madrid, has not scored for the French national team recently and has faced criticism from the French press. However, he remains a constant threat to defenses, alongside Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, who was notably left out of the 30 finalists for the Ballon d’Or.
On the Stuttgart side, they also have injury concerns. Al Dakhil has been out since January, Nartey has been sidelined for months, and Frenchman Rouault (2 assists last year, formerly of Toulouse) is also unavailable.
Fellow Frenchman Zagadou, who missed the international break, participated in a friendly match to gain match fitness, along with Raimund.
Although Guirassy has left (28 goals, 3 assists last season), Undav (Hungarian international) has stayed and completed a permanent transfer from Brighton after scoring 18 goals last season. French international hopeful Enzo Millot, who scored 5 goals in the Bundesliga last year, is also available.
Prediction
Real Madrid has not been involved in a home game featuring over 3.5 goals in their last 42 matches.
While Stuttgart can’t match this record, their Champions League away games have consistently seen under 3.5 goals over the last 17 outings. Therefore, a low-scoring affair is expected.
Prediction: Real Madrid 1 : 1 Stuttgart
