Two teams that love to attack will clash in the Champions League on Wednesday, as Stuttgart host Serie A high-flyers Atalanta BC.
One point separates the sides before their meeting at MHPArena, with both sitting just inside the playoff places after three matchdays.
Match preview
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Making their return to the Champions League after watching from the sidelines since 2009, Stuttgart have already traded blows with two continental heavyweights - losing narrowly to Real Madrid and snatching a famous win against Juventus.
Last time out, Die Schwaben set off for Turin on the back of a four-match winless run, having lost 4-0 to Bayern Munich just days earlier, but they ultimately moved onto four points by following up a 1-1 home draw against Sparta Prague with an improbable victory.
Enzo Millot saw a late spot kick saved, but the French schemer soon redeemed himself by providing the assist for Atalanta loanee El Bilal Toure, who emerged from the bench to decide matter with a dramatic stoppage-time strike.
That was just Stuttgart's second success in their last 11 games against Serie A sides - and their first ever in Italy - so they will hope to repeat the feat on Wednesday.
VfB coach Sebastian Hoeness guided his team to second place in the Bundesliga last season, securing the club's highest finish since winning the title in 2007, but this term's domestic form has been a little more modest.
Their only win in five league matches came at the end of last month, against lowly Holstein Kiel, and Friday's 0-0 draw with defending champions Bayer Leverkusen left them occupying eighth place in the table.
Nonetheless, Die Roten were last defeated on home turf way back in October 2023 - their longest such run in 17 years.
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Memorably, Atalanta's last encounter with German opposition was their historic 3-0 defeat of Leverkusen in Dublin last season, when they were crowned Europa League champions.
After claiming the club's first continental silverware, Gian Piero Gasperini's men stepped up a tier this term and have taken five points from their opening three fixtures - goalless draws at home to Arsenal and Celtic, coming either side of a 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.
One of five teams yet to concede in the Champions League, the Italian side were left ruing their inability to find away past Celtic late last month, and despite dominating the match it was a rare occasion that red-hot marksman Mateo Retegui failed to find the net.
On Sunday, though, the Italy striker stepped off the bench to apply the finishing touch to a superb 3-0 away win over Serie A leaders Napoli, following two first-half strikes from La Dea's Europa League final hero Ademola Lookman.
That made it five league wins on the spin for Atalanta - with no fewer than 18 goals scored and only two conceded - as they climbed up to third place in the standings.
The Bergamaschi boast the best attack in Italy this season, with an average of 2.64 goals per game, so they will now hope to replicate such free-scoring ways on the European scene.
However, they head to Stuttgart having won only two of their last 11 Champions League matches, leaving tactical maestro Gasperini with a point to prove.
Team News
![Sebastian Hoeness in the BayArena in Leverkusen during the German Super Cup final on August 17, 2024 [on August 22, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/34/sebastian-hoeness.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Sebastian Hoeness in the BayArena in Leverkusen during the German Super Cup final on August 17, 2024 [on August 22, 2024]")
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Sebastian Hoeness has a host of attacking options from which to choose, but Deniz Undav was partnered by El Bilal Toure against Leverkusen and they could be paired again on Wednesday.
The latter is set to meet his parent club, as Toure joined Stuttgart on loan in the summer after scoring only three goals during an injury-scarred first year in Bergamo.
Enzo Millot also joins Ermedin Demirovic, Chris Fuhrich and Fabian Rieder in the pursuit of places across the final third, but new Germany international Jamie Lewelling sustained a muscular injury at the weekend and is not available.
Jeff Chabot (muscular), Yannik Keitel (adductor), Luca Raimund (muscular) and Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee) are also ruled out, but Swiss centre-back Leonidas Stergiou has returned to training and Ameen Al-Dakhil recently recovered from a hip problem.
Meanwhile, Atalanta's long-term absentees, Italy internationals Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini, will not be back in action until next year, but Marco Brescianini was a late substitute against Napoli following several weeks on the sidelines with a thigh injury.
After spending most of Sunday's game on the bench, Mateo Retegui is set to regain his place in La Dea's starting XI, with support from Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere.
Since signing from Genoa as Scamacca's replacement, Retegui has scored five goals in his first six Serie A away matches and is four clear atop the Capocannoniere rankings.
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Vagnoman, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Millot, Undav, Fuhrich; Toure
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui
We say: Stuttgart 1-1 Atalanta BC
A closely-matched contest should end with the spoils shared, as Stuttgart reign supreme on home turf and should halt Atalanta's winning run.
The visitors are a well-oiled machine under Gian Piero Gasperini, but Sebastian Hoeness has already proven he can go toe to toe with Europe's top bosses.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
