Stuttgart will look to keep their unbeaten run alive on Tuesday in Istanbul, with kick‑off set for 6.45 pm CET. The Turkish champions, however, field a host of former Bundesliga players, including a four‑time German champion. Can Stuttgart keep the momentum?
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Stuttgart have enjoyed a strong start to the Champions League campaign, winning their opening two matches before picking up a point against Atlético Madrid last time out. Galatasaray, meanwhile, ended a two-game losing start to the league phase with a 4-2 victory at Lille on Matchday 3.
Victor Osimhen was on the scoresheet in that match, having come a long way since his beginnings at Wolfsburg. The Nigeria international made his first steps in professional football at the Volkswagen Arena in 2017, but ultimately failed to find the back of the net across 16 matches for the club in all competitions.
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Osimhen made his Bundesliga debut at Wolfsburg. – Darius Simka/regios24 –>
Though the Wolves didn’t keep him, the striker flourished elsewhere. After strong spells at Charleroi and Lille, he joined Napoli for 2020/21 and helped clinch the 2022/23 Serie A crown, the club’s first since Maradona’s era. Since arriving in Turkey in 2024 he’s netted 68 goals in 83 games, cementing his reputation as a lethal front‑man.
Reflecting on his German stint, Osimhen said in 2023: “It wasn’t easy for me. But I don’t see it as a negative experience. Wolfsburg taught me a lot, gave me a chance to grow, and the setbacks shaped who I am today.”
Osimhen has become one of Europe’s top marksmen. – IMAGO/Seskimphoto
Gündoğan’s German chapter proved far more productive. A Bochum academy product, the Gelsenkirchen native spent two years at Nuremberg before shining for five seasons at Borussia Dortmund, winning the 2011/12 title under Klopp and scoring in the following Champions League final.
He later added a slew of English trophies with Manchester City before returning to his parents’ homeland, Istanbul. Gündoğan also captained Germany until retiring from international duty in 2024.
Sané enjoyed two standout Bundesliga spells. He broke through at Schalke, then moved to Manchester City, filling his trophy cabinet before heading back to Germany with Bayern Munich in 2020, where he added four more league crowns. Internationally he boasts 80 caps and two World Cup appearances.
Watch: The best of Leroy Sané