Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League match.
Star-studded Real Madrid, reigning Champions League holders, will face Stuttgart in their first European match of the season. The Bundesliga runners-up have struggled to organise their defence, and at the Santiago Bernabeu, their manager is unlikely to abandon his usual attacking style.
Real Madrid
In the past month, Real Madrid have recorded four wins and two draws, each time winning by at least a two-goal margin. On Saturday, they defeated Real Sociedad (2:0), capitalising on their opportunities in the second half with two penalties scored by their main stars, Vinicius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. Despite opportunities for the Basque side, Real Madrid were significantly more threatening around the opponents' goal (2.37 xG vs 1.43 xG, and 16 shots to 11). The team always shows high motivation in the Champions League.
Stuttgart
After selling three key players in the off-season, Stuttgart are having to rebuild their play. Against relatively moderate Bundesliga opponents, they managed to collect only four points from three matches—Freiburg (1:3), Mainz 05 (3:3), and Borussia M'gladbach (3:1), who created 7.02 xG against them (fourth-worst in the league). Adding to Stuttgart’s woes is a shortage of personnel—defenders Leonidas Stergiou and Ameen Al-Dakhil will miss the match due to injuries.
Real Madrid vs Stuttgart Prediction
This special tournament for Real Madrid should begin with a victory. They are expected to defeat Stuttgart in the opening fixture, securing a comfortable goal margin.
