Frank Christian
Real Madrid kicks off their title defense in the UEFA Champions League with a match against Stuttgart on Tuesday.
Stuttgart, the Bundesliga’s second-place team last season, returns to this prestigious tournament after a long absence since 2010 and has never faced the current champions, Real Madrid, who secured their record 15th title in the final against Borussia Dortmund during the 2023/24 season.
Recently, Stuttgart secured a solid 3-1 victory away at Borussia Monchengladbach, providing them with a confidence boost before visiting the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, where Real Madrid remains unbeaten in 13 matches.
Carlo Ancelotti is optimistic about having some key players back from a recent injury setback, while Kylian Mbappe aims for a strong showing as he seeks to win the Champions League for the first time.
The Sporting News outlines the latest team updates and projected lineups for this encounter.
Projected Lineups: Real Madrid vs. Stuttgart
Ancelotti anticipates that Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni will be available for this opening match. Bellingham is expected to be a starter, according to AS in Spain.
Eduardo Camavinga remains out along with Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz. It is likely that Rodrygo will re-enter the lineup, with Arda Guler potentially making way.
Predicted Real Madrid XI (4-2-3-1): Courtois (GK) — Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy — Valverde, Tchouameni — Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius — Mbappe
Injuries: Camavinga, Ceballos, Diaz, Alaba
Suspensions: None
Sebastian Hoeness used a 4-2-2-2 formation against Borussia Monchengladbach and may continue with this setup.
Promising young player Anrie Chase is poised to retain his spot as center-back due to injuries affecting Dan-Axel Zagadou, Ameen Al-Dakhil, and Leonidas Stergiou. Ermedin Demirovic, who has netted four goals in five matches since joining from Augsburg, is set to lead the offensive front.
Predicted Stuttgart XI (4-2-2-2): Nubel (GK) — Vagnoman, Chase, Chabot, Mittelstadt — Karazor, Stiller — Rieder, Leweling — Demirovic, Undav
Injuries: Al-Dakhil, Frans Kratzig, Stergiou (doubt), Zagadou (doubt)
Suspensions: None
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Stuttgart
Here are the options to catch this Champions League match from various global regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | TUDN USA, UniMas | Paramount+, Fubo, ViX, TUDN.com, Univision Now, TUDN App |
| Canada | — | DAZN, Fubo |
| UK | TNT Sports 1 | discovery+ |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| India | — | JioTV, Sony LIV |
