Stuttgart have stayed unbeaten in this season’s Champions League, yet a 1‑1 home draw with Atlético Madrid leaves a hint of disappointment – a sign of their steady rise. Can they keep defying expectations?
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VfB Stuttgart, the UEFA Champions League surprise package?
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Die Schwaben have endured a difficult start to the Bundesliga campaign. Their 1-0 defeat to Hamburg on Matchday 6 was their fourth, already half the total number of defeats they suffered last term, leaving them 13th in the table.
However, on the continental stage, they have shown exactly what they are capable of. They kicked off with a 3-1 victory over Viking – who later drew with Bayern Munich on Matchday 2 – courtesy of Ermedin Demirović’s hat-trick, and they breezed past Slovan Bratislava 3-0.
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Demirović netted a hat-trick in Stuttgart’s opening-matchday win over Viking. – IMAGO/Pressefoto Rudel/Herbert Rudel –>
Respect to both foes, but Atlético represented a clear step up; the Spanish side reached the 2025/26 semi‑finals and have long sat among Europe’s elite.
Hoeneß’s squad shrugged off shaky domestic form, troubling the visitors early. Jan Oblak faced two shots in the first minute, and Jamie Leweling struck in the 36th as Dennis Seimen, making his Champions League debut, became Stuttgart’s youngest keeper in the competition.
The only gripe is not extending the lead before halftime, especially after Julian Alvarez’s clever equaliser right after the break. Yet Stuttgart rallied, and Martin Hjulmand’s red card with under 30 minutes left gave them the chance to seal three points.
Leweling opened the scoring after a dominant start. – THOMAS KIENZLE
They controlled possession and territory, creating several chances, but Oblak held firm a second time. Their seven points from three matches keep them unbeaten and well placed for the knockout round, with Bilal El Khannouss, Deniz Undav and Leweling ready to trouble any opponent.
Hoeneß and his players radiated belief after the final whistle, insisting they can match Europe’s best. In my view, Stuttgart are already punching above their weight. “We can be proud of our performance – yet we’re a bit disappointed because more was possible,” the coach said.
“Ultimately, against a top European side we missed only the winning goal – that shows how good we were. Will Stuttgart turn that near‑miss into a knockout‑stage breakthrough?”