Atalanta in trip to Stuttgart for UCL MD 4 clash.

2024-10-31

As Stuttgart returns to UEFA Champions League action aiming for consecutive victories against Italian sides, they'll face a formidable Atalanta team fresh from a commanding win over Napoli, setting the stage for a captivating midweek showdown at the MHPArena.

VfB Stuttgart

Stuttgart, fresh from a feisty goalless draw with Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, make their return to the UEFA Champions League following a narrow 1-0 win over a ten-man Juventus. The Old Lady were down to ten men in the 84th minute after Danilo's red card, allowing Stuttgart to seize the opportunity and score the only goal of the game in stoppage time.

This win marked several personal club records, notably being their first victory over an Italian side on European ground since defeating Torino 1-0 in the UEFA Cup back in September 1979. Unbeaten in four games across all competitions (LWWWD), Stuttgart aim to secure consecutive UCL victories to climb further up the table.

The German team is currently in 18th place in the UEFA Champions League league phase, with 4 points (1W, 1D, 1L), just below their next opponents, Atalanta. VfB Stuttgart have yet to face Atalanta in any European competition, but after overcoming Juventus, they are eager to secure back-to-back victories over Italian teams, despite having only one win against such sides in 11 games before UCL Match Day 3 (1W, 4D, 6L).

Manager Sebastian Hoeneß is expected to deploy a 4—4—2 formation, with Ermedin Demirović and Deniz Undav leading the attack.

Atalanta

Atalanta recently secured an impressive 3-0 victory over league leaders Napoli, who had previously lost only once. Ademola Lookman contributed a brace, scoring in the 10th and 31st minutes, while Mateo Retegui, Serie A's top scorer, added a stunning goal during stoppage time to maintain Atalanta's 3rd place standing.

The Italian side remains unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League with one win and two draws (1W, 2D, 0L). Their most recent UCL outing ended in a goalless draw against Celtic on Match Day 3. As Europa League champions, Atalanta hope to strengthen their position for an automatic spot in the next competition phase as they travel to Stuttgart.

However, their away record against German clubs shows only one win in four games (1W, 2D, 1L). Gian Piero Gasperini is likely to use a 3-4-1-2 formation, with Lookman and Retegui retaining their attacking roles. Unfortunately, Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini remain sidelined and will miss Wednesday's match.