Defending champions Real Madrid will kick off their new UCL campaign by hosting German side VfB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Real Madrid won a record 15th Champions League title last season as they got the better of Borussia Dortmund in the final. Now, they are gearing up to kick start the new campaign with a home game against VfB Stuttgart.
While there is a change in format with every team facing eight different oppositions in the league phase and being ranked together, Los Blancos will enter the competition with the aim of lifting the title 16th time towards the end of the season.
While Carlo Ancelotti’s team are unbeaten so far, it has been a slow start for them as they have dropped points on two occasions. They cannot really afford a slip-up in any of their Champions League games as a first-placed finish will give them an easier road to the final.
Vfb Stuttgart started the new season with a defeat in their opening league outing but they have bounced back with a draw and a win in their last outing. But, they are not going to find it easy to take on the European giants who have an exceptional record in the Champions League. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s team will be without quite a few key first-team players. Brahim Diaz, who picked up an injury in their last outing, has joined David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Eduardo Camavinga on the sidelines.
While Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni have already returned to training, they might not be risked from the start. But, the duo will surely play a part in this fixture.
Ancelotti will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Thibaut Courtois in goal. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy will continue as the full-backs, with Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger taking charge in the heart of the defence.
The back four will look to start the new UEFA Champions League campaign with a clean sheet and they will have the support of Federico Valverde and Luka Modric, who will form the double pivot in midfield.
Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior will take charge of the flanks. While Ancelotti will be tempted by the idea of starting Bellingham as the number 10, he will stick with Arda Guler who has done a great job so far. Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for Real Madrid against VfB Stuttgart.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Modric; Rodrygo, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
VfB Stuttgart
The visitors will be without the services of Nikolas Nartey, Frans Kratzig, Justin Diehl and Ameen Al-Dakhil. Leonidas Stergiou is also closing in on a return but he is not yet fit for the game against Los Blancos.
VfB Stuttgart will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Alexander Nubel will be in goal. Josha Vagnoman and Maximilian Mittelstadt will feature as the full-backs for the visitors, while Anrie Chase will pair up with Julian Chabot in the heart of the defence.
Jamie Leweling and Fabian Rieder will look to support the full-backs defend against the pacey Real Madrid wide players. With the home team expected to have the majority of the ball, midfielders Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller are expected to have a lot of defensive duties.
In attack, Ermedin Demirovic will look to pair up with Deniz Undav. The duo have been in impressive form this season and they will try their best to trouble Real Madrid’s backline.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Nubel; Vagnoman, Chase, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Leweling, Karazor, Stiller, Rieder; Demirovic, Undav
Key Stats
- Real Madrid and VfB Stuttgart are all set to square up against each other for the very first time.
- The German club have been winless in their six UCL outings against Spanish outfits.
- Los Blancos lifted a record 15th Champions League title last season and will be aiming for their 16th time out.
- The Spanish giants have won six UCL titles in the last decade.
- VfB Stuttgart are gearing up for their first UCL campaign in 15 years.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe is all set to start in his first UEFA Champions League game for his dream club, Real Madrid. The French international dreams of winning the competition with the Spanish giants and he will look to kick-start things with a dominant performance against Stuttgart. The 25-year-old will look to add to the four goals that he has scored in the 2024/25 season.
Prediction
Real Madrid 4-0 VfB Stuttgart
While Los Blancos have been a bit inconsistent in the new season and they are without quite a few first-team stars, they come to life in the UEFA Champions League, and VfB Stuttgart might feel the full force of the European giants on the opening day of the new season. With the team in white playing at home, they are unlikely to drop points. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 4-0 win for Carlo Ancelotti’s team.