UEFA Champions League · League Stage - 3 
Stuttgart's Injury List Tests Their Champions League Start Against Atletico
VfB Stuttgart have made a strong start in the Champions League, but a growing list of absences will test their depth against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
📍 MHP Arena
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| Scored | Conceded | |
|---|---|---|
| VfB Stuttgart | 3.0 | 0.5 |
| Atletico Madrid | 1.5 | 1.0 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | VfB Stuttgart | 2 | +5 | 6 |
| 15 | Atletico Madrid | 2 | +1 | 3 |
Absences
VfB Stuttgart
- OutA. Al Dakhil · Knee Injury
- OutJ. Diehl · Muscle Injury
- OutS. Drljaca · Off the roster
- OutL. Stergiou · Off the roster
- DoubtfulM. Mittelstadt · Heel Injury
- DoubtfulN. Nartey · Muscle Injury
- DoubtfulT. Tomas · Muscle Injury
- DoubtfulD. Zagadou · Muscle Injury
Atletico Madrid
- OutJ. Cardoso · Illness
- OutKoke · Muscle Injury
A strong start with a thinning squad
Stuttgart have a real chance to take firm control of their league phase, but a lengthy injury list means Tuesday’s meeting with Atletico Madrid may be decided as much by who is fit as by who is in form. The match is the third round of the league phase, played at the MHP Arena.
Stuttgart sit fourth in the 36-team table with six points from two games and a goal difference of +5. Atletico are 15th on three points, with a goal difference of +1. On paper, the gap between the sides is clear.
Two wins for the hosts, a split for Atletico
Stuttgart have won both of their matches so far, scoring six goals and conceding only one. Their home win and their away win each produced three goals, showing an attack that has been effective in different settings. They have also kept a clean sheet, which is a useful sign for a side that will need to be disciplined.
Atletico have found the net three times and conceded twice. Their results have been mixed: a home victory, where they scored twice, was followed by an away defeat in which they still managed a goal. Their away record has been the weaker side of their campaign so far.
Stuttgart’s injury problem
This is where the story lies. Stuttgart are missing four players: A. Al Dakhil, who is out with a knee injury, and J. Diehl, sidelined by a muscle injury, while S. Drljaca and L. Stergiou are not in the squad. Four more players, M. Mittelstadt (heel), N. Nartey, T. Tomas and D. Zagadou (both muscle), are listed as doubtful.
Atletico have their own concerns. J. Cardoso is unavailable through illness, and Koke is out with a muscle injury. Both sides will have to adapt, but Stuttgart’s situation is the larger one, as they have less room to rotate if their doubtful players cannot be relied upon.
Our prediction
Stuttgart’s home advantage and their solid start in the competition make them the favourites, and their defence has been hard to break down so far. The absences could limit their options, and Atletico are capable of finding goals, but the hosts should have enough quality to control the match. We expect a tight contest in which Stuttgart’s organisation is key.
VfB Stuttgart 2-1 Atletico Madrid