Win this, and take the good run into the Bayern and Barcelona games
Matchday 3 of the Champions League league phase takes Atlético Madrid to Stuttgart. Kick-off at the MHPArena is at 21:00 CEST on Tuesday 20 October, and it will be the first competitive meeting between the two clubs.
After one win and one defeat in the Champions League, Atlético are 15th on 3 points. Every club in the top eight has 6 points, and Stuttgart are fourth after winning both of their games. Champions League away games are a weak spot, and last season Atlético won only two of eight. Even so, they have won six in a row in all competitions since the Real Sociedad game. This is a game they should go out to win. Ideally the winning mood carries on all the way to Bayern on 3 November and Barcelona that weekend.
Stuttgart have won both Champions League games but are struggling in 13th in the league
Sebastian Hoeneß has been in charge since 2023. Under him Stuttgart won the DFB-Pokal in 2025, and last season they finished fourth in the Bundesliga to qualify for the Champions League. They are back in the competition for the first time in two seasons, and have won both games so far, 3-1 against Viking and 3-0 against Slovan Bratislava.
The league is another story. They have two wins and four defeats from six games and sit 13th. On the 17th they lost 1-0 to Hamburger SV, conceding in the 88th minute despite having 66% of the ball and 24 shots. They have had 24 big chances in the league and scored only three of them. Several local outlets have singled out poor finishing as the problem. After the game, captain Deniz Undav said: "We have to start realising that we're not a top side at the moment."
Two local fan blogs take issue with Stuttgart conceding the same kind of goal again and again on the counter after they have pushed forward. One of them also writes that all four of their wins in the league and the Champions League were games in which they lost control in the second half. The blogs treat even the 3-0 against Slovan in the Champions League as a win that did what was needed, and say the performance had problems.
They switch between a back three and a back four. At his pre-match press conference, Simeone described them as "a physically strong team, with clear ideas about pressing in your half, almost always man to man, and dropping very deep when they have to defend".
Führich is the one in form, Demirović the one scoring in the Champions League
The player local coverage has picked out for his form is left winger Chris Führich. He scored the second goal against Paderborn on the 10th, and a fan blog named him Stuttgart's best player in that game. Ahead of this game, a local paper's predicted line-up described him as "in top form".
Ermedin Demirović, the No 9, has four goals in two Champions League games. Against Viking he scored a hat-trick between the 20th and 32nd minutes, the first Champions League hat-trick by a Stuttgart player. Four goals in a single Champions League season is also a club record, European Cup era included. In the league, though, he has scored just once, and he missed a big chance against Hamburger SV. He also spent time at Alavés earlier in his career. Before the game he called Atlético a "fortress", then said: "Even so, I think we have the quality to score goals."
In midfield, Angelo Stiller runs the build-up. He has four assists in all competitions, and in the Champions League he is level with Arsenal's Rice for the most passes that get past the opposition's defensive line. In the comments on fan blogs, though, some say he has not been at his usual level lately.
Left-back Maximilian Mittelstädt, a Germany international, was one of six nominees for the Bundesliga's Player of the Month for September. He missed two games with a cut to his heel but looks likely to be back in the squad for this one. If the predicted line-ups are right, Führich and Mittelstädt on the Stuttgart left will be up against Llorente and Giuliano on Atlético's right.
In Romero's absence, go with Pubill and Hancko
Cristian Romero was injured against Espanyol and has not travelled. It is reported to be a minor adductor injury that will keep him out for around 10 to 12 days. Simeone said: "Cuti's importance is clear, but obviously the team as a whole makes all of us better." Koke is also out with a muscle injury. Johnny Cardoso, who missed the Espanyol game through illness, is back in the squad.
The centre-back pairing I'd like to see is Marc Pubill and Dávid Hancko.
David should start, but I still want Julián to be the one who decides it
Jonathan David should lead the line. He has three goals in La Liga and started against Espanyol.
Personally, though, I'd love this to be the moment Julián Álvarez becomes the match-winner. He has yet to score for Atlético this season, but after coming on at half-time against Espanyol, all three of his shots were impressive, and he set up Baena's winner. The Champions League has been good to him, with 25 goals in 44 games across his time at City and Atlético.
What to look for during the game
At his pre-match press conference, Hoeneß said his side "must be very alert, especially in the opponent's transition play". Can Atlético stay solid at the back without Romero and break forward quickly once they win the ball? From there I want them to find a goal, bring the three points home and take the winning mood into November.