Two clubs that made contrasting starts to the 2024-25 Champions League league phase square off on Tuesday evening, as Stuttgart host Sparta Prague at the MHPArena.
The Bundesliga outfit were left to rue what could have been against Real Madrid as they went down 3-1 to the holders on matchday one, but their Czech counterparts hit Red Bull Salzburg for three without reply.
Match preview
© Imago
Having stunned the European football landscape by finishing above Bayern Munich in last season's Bundesliga, the German silver medallists were assigned arguably the most difficult test of their Champions League credentials on matchday one, albeit one that they navigated valiantly.
Stuttgart were level with the 15-time winners at 1-1 heading into the final 10 minutes as Deniz Undav cancelled out Kylian Mbappe's opening effort, but Antonio Rudiger's header and a record-breaking injury-time goal from Endrick saw Real Madrid survive a major scare at the Bernabeu.
Sebastian Hoeness's charges should have felt no shame in losing to the reigning European champions, whom they gave an extremely good run for their money, and the hosts' propensity for entertaining, goal-laden performances has not ceased since that four-goal affair in the Spanish capital.
Indeed, Stuttgart responded to that early Champions League setback with an astonishing 5-1 battering of Borussia Dortmund, although they had to come from behind twice to snatch a point in a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg on Saturday, where Undav netted a dramatic 97th-minute equaliser.
A respectable record of eight points from their opening five games of the season has Stuttgart eighth in the embryonic Bundesliga rankings, and the German outfit now gear up for their first Champions League home match in over 14 years, having not hosted a top-level European game since a 1-1 draw with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona in 2010.
![Coach Lars Friis at the Sparta football press conference before the start of the new season, Prague, 17 July 2024 [on July 20, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/29/lars-friis.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Coach Lars Friis at the Sparta football press conference before the start of the new season, Prague, 17 July 2024 [on July 20, 2024]")
© Imago
While Stuttgart earned direct entry into the league phase, Sparta Prague had to go through the rigmarole of three qualifying rounds to punch their ticket to the tournament proper, eliminating Shamrock Rovers, FCSB and Malmo from the preliminary rounds after numerous failed ventures.
The Czech giants had previously tried and failed nine times to qualify for the group stage since last reaching the promised land in the 2005-06 season, but having finally exorcised those Champions League demons, they laid down a massive marker on the opening night.
Facing up to Pep Lijnders's Red Bull Salzburg unit, Sparta Prague tore the youngsters to shreds through Kaan Kairinen, Victor Olatunji and Qazim Laci, the latter two of whom both pounced on defensive errors from the Austrian side in a 3-0 demolition.
Only Bayern Munich, Celtic and Bayer Leverkusen marched to more emphatic win than Friis's side on matchday one, and Sparta are sitting pretty in sixth place in the league phase table, behind Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund thanks to their two rivals scoring their three goals away from home.
However, Tuesday's visitors lost their remarkable 28-game unbeaten streak in a shock 3-2 home loss to Sigma Olomouc in Saturday's Czech Liga clash, which was their first defeat since March's 6-1 Europa League thrashing at the hands of Liverpool - a hugely damaging blow before their first-ever meeting with Stuttgart.
Team News
© Imago
Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor was sent off for two bookable offences in his side's stalemate with Wolfsburg at the weekend, but his suspension only applies to domestic matches, meaning that he is fine to skipper the hosts on Tuesday evening.
However, Hoeness's defence is depleted by the absences of Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee) and Leonidas Stergiou (back), while Nikolas Nartey (knee) and Justin Diehl (shoulder) are also sidelined but were not called up to Stuttgart's Champions League squad anyway.
The hosting manager may at least have ex-Burnley defender Ameen Al-Dakhil back from illness in time for Tuesday, but right-back Josha Vagnoman is a fresh doubt after sustaining an injury at the weekend.
Sparta Prague's only injury concerns also lie in defence, as centre-backs Mathias Ross (concussion) and Elias Cobbaut (unknown) are both out of contention alongside left-back Imanol Garcia (knee), but the latter is ineligible anyway.
Ten of the 11 starters from the victory over Salzburg also began the weekend's loss to Sigma Olomouc, the one exception being Matej Rynes starting in place of Tomas Wiesner, who did come on for the final 30 minutes.
Friis is unlikely to make sweeping changes despite the weekend's disappointment, as Olatunji spearheads an attacking trident also featuring Veljko Birmancevic and Slovakian Euro 2024 star Lukas Haraslin.
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Stenzel, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Stiller, Karazor; Rieder, Millot, Leweling; Undav
Sparta Prague possible starting lineup:
Vindahl; Zeleny, Vitik, Panak; Preciado, Kairinen, Laci, Wiesner; Birmancevic, Olatunji, Haraslin
We say: Stuttgart 3-1 Sparta Prague
Stuttgart do not do boring football matches, with a staggering 37 goals across their eight competitive games so far this season, and the neutrals should be in for an exciting watch once again this week.
Sparta's surprise weekend defeat may still be playing on the minds of Friis's troops, though, and we can only envisage the hosts triumphing over the confidence-depleted visitors on this occasion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
