New Delhi: The UEFA Champions League 2024/25 will kick off with its first-round matches this week as VfB Stuttgart will lock horns with the reigning champions Real Madrid in the opening clash at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu tonight.
Real Madrid, the unprecedented 15-time Champions League winner, will begin their new campaign at Santiago after beating a German club in the final three months back. They beat Borussia Dortmund by a scoreline of 2-0 at Wembley. Madrid are currently third in the La Liga standings but have yet to hit their stride this season facing major setbacks as several key players have picked up injuries.
Los Blancos won over Real Sociedad by a scoreline of 2-0 in their previous game and will look to repeat similar result this week. The hosts even hold an excellent record against German opposition as they have lost just one of their last 21 meetings.
VfB Stuttgart, on the other hand, have been handed the toughest draws as they face Madrid away to begin their campaign. They are currently placed in 10th place in the Bundesliga standings and have not been in good form over the past year.
The Bundesliga runners-up last season eventually played in the Europa League, but this is still their first European encounter since they were eliminated in a 2013 qualifier against Rijeka.
Though the away side eased past Borussia Monchengladbach by a 3-1 victory over the weekend and will be quite confident ahead of the fixture.
Los Blancos will look to start off defending their title in the usual fashion by getting a win but before that take a look at which team holds upper hand over the other.
Team News
Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 21, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
In Real Madrid’s camp, Kylian Mbappe is all set to make his highly anticipated Champions League debut for Real Madrid after previously scoring 48 goals in 73 appearances in the competition for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and AS Monaco. The Frenchman will be key to Madrid’s hopes but around him, the team is also dealing with a significant number of injuries.
Jude Bellingham is back in training after missing the last month due to injury. He is joined by Aurelien Tchouameni, who also missed the recent international break but is now fit again.
The other absentee is Brahim Diaz, who was forced off early during the weekend and is expected to miss around eight weeks due to a muscle injury. In addition, Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos are both on the road to recovery and could be available by the end of the month.
Despite these injuries, Real Madrid’s depth and the presence of Mbappe could still pose a formidable challenge in their upcoming European clash.
Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart are also facing injury concerns ahead of their next match. Ameen Al Dakhil has yet to make his debut for the German side as he continues to recover from an injury sustained during his time at Burnley. However, there is positive news as defender Leonidas Stergiou is nearing a return after overcoming a back issue.
Midfielders Nikolas Nartey and Frans Kratzig are both expected to remain sidelined until October, while young talent Justin Diehl is facing an even longer spell out after suffering a shoulder injury while playing for the B team.
In the absence of several key players, Stuttgart’s best chance of success will lie with their in-form attackers. Ermedin Demirovic is enjoying a superb season, having already scored five goals for the club and country, including two on the weekend. Meanwhile, Deniz Undav found the net against Borussia Monchengladbach, opening his account for the league campaign following an impressive showing for Germany during the international break.
Head-to-Head
Real Madrid and VfB Stuttgart have never crossed paths in the UEFA Champions League. Madrid will need to adapt to a formidable new opponent tonight. Los Blancos have encountered 15 different German teams in European competitions throughout their history, and they are now set to face VfB Stuttgart for the first time.
The upcoming match marks Stuttgart’s return to the UEFA Champions League after nearly 14 years as their last appearance in the competition was a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in 2010. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have been dominant against German opposition losing only one of their last 21 matches in the Champions League. Their only defeat in this period came in as a 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig in October 2022.
Predicted lineup
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Eder Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Modric; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe
VfB Stuttgart: Nubel; Vagnoman, Chase, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Leweling, Karazor, Stiller, Rieder; Demirovic, Undav
When, where, and how to watch the Real Madrid vs VfB Stuttgart match in India?
The Real Madrid vs VfB Stuttgart UEFA Champions League 2024/25 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network in India. Fans can tune into the Sony Sports Ten 5 at 12:30 am to catch the action. Live streaming of the Champions League 2024/25 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.
Match Prediction
The reigning champions Real Madrid will enter the opening-day fixture as heavy favourites to win the match. Madrid will look to extend their unbeaten start to the season with a victory despite some crucial absences in midfield.
Only CSKA Moscow, six years ago, prevented Real Madrid from scoring in their last 74 home Champions League games. Thus, VfB Stuttgart needs to be at the top of their game offensively to stand a chance, which seems doubtful considering the strength of the home team.
Final Scoreline: Real Madrid 3-1 Stuttgart
Real Madrid and VfB Stuttgart will meet in the first matchday of the brand new league phase of the Champions League tonight. But before the action kicks off, let’s examine which team has the upper hand over the other. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
