Real Madrid vs Stuttgart facts

Real Madrid begin their defence of the UEFA Champions League at home to a Stuttgart side returning to the competition for the first time in 15 seasons as the new league phase begins at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Madrid claimed their record-extending 15th European Cup at Wembley on 1 June, and are now looking to extend their record of having always reached the competition's knockout round on every appearance.

Stuttgart are making their fourth appearance in the competition proper, the previous three all coming in a seven-season sequence between 2002/03 and 2009/10.

This is the teams' first meeting.

Form guide

Real Madrid

Record vs German clubs: W42 D16 L24 F155 A121
Home record vs German clubs: W29 D7 L3

This is Madrid's fourth successive Champions League game against a German club, having beaten Bayern München 4-3 on aggregate in last season's semi-finals (2-2 a, 2-1 h) before a 2-0 final defeat of Borussia Dortmund. They had also faced Union Berlin in the group stage (1-0 h, 3-2 a) and Leipzig in the round of 16 (1-0 a, 1-1 h).

A 3-2 loss at Leipzig on Matchday 5 in 2022/23 is Madrid's only defeat in their last 21 matches against Bundesliga clubs, home and away (W14 D6).

A 4-3 defeat by Schalke in the 2014/15 round of 16 second leg (5-4 aggregate) is Madrid's sole reverse in their last 23 home games against German teams (W17 D5).

Madrid claimed their record-extending 15th European Cup in 2023/24, goals in the final 16 minutes from Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior – the latter the first Brazilian to score in two European Cup finals – earning victory against Dortmund at Wembley on 1 June.

Carlo Ancelotti's side had finished top of their section after winning all six Champions League group games for a record-equalling third time, beating Union Berlin (1-0 h, 3-2 a), Napoli (3-2 a, 4-2 h) and Braga (2-1 a, 3-0 h) as they qualified for the round of 16 with two games to spare.

Leipzig were then overcome in the round of 16 (1-0 a, 1-1 a) before epic ties against holders Manchester City (3-3 h, 1-1 a, 4-3 pens) – Rodrygo scoring in both games – and Bayern (2-2 a, 2-1 h), substitute Joselu scoring twice in the closing minutes to take Madrid to Wembley.

Madrid did not lose a game in a European Cup campaign for the first time in their history (W9 D4).

Ancelotti reached his sixth Champions League final as a coach (2003, 2005 and 2007 with AC Milan; 2014, 2022 and 2024 with Real Madrid) – the most of any coach in European Cup history. His total of five triumphs is also a record.

The Italian also became the first coach to take charge of 200 Champions League games in the quarter-final first leg against Manchester City.

Madrid are in the Champions League proper for the 29th time in 2024/25, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996/97 and have qualified for the knockout rounds in all 28 campaigns.

The Spanish side have won 18 of their last 27 home European games (D5 L4) and 17 of the most recent 23 (D4 L2).

Ancelotti's side have already claimed silverware this season, second-half goals from Federico Valverde and debutant Kylian Mbappé earning a 2-0 win against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw on 14 August. It was Madrid's sixth triumph in the competition, a new record.

The Merengues finished ten points clear of Barcelona at the top of the 2023/24 La Liga title, claiming their second championship in three years and 36th overall.

Stuttgart

Record vs Spanish clubs: W3 D4 L8 F12 A22
Away record vs Spanish clubs: W1 D2 L5

Stuttgart have not faced a Spanish side since beating Getafe 1-0 at home and 3-0 away in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage.

That home success ended a 12-match winless run against La Liga opponents (D4 L8) stretching back to Stuttgart's first game, a 1-0 home defeat of Real Sociedad in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg.

Stuttgart have never beaten Spanish opponents in the Champions League, losing four of their six games; their most recent campaign in the competition ended in a 1-5 aggregate loss to Barcelona in the 2009/10 round of 16 (1-1 h, 0-4 a).

This is Stuttgart's fourth appearance in the Champions League proper and a first since 2009/10.

In that most recent appearance 15 seasons ago, Stuttgart were second in their section behind Sevilla to reach the round of 16, where they were eliminated by holders Barcelona (1-1 h, 0-4 a).

Stuttgart have won two of their 11 away games in the Champions League proper, losing six.

The German club have not taken part in European competition since 2013/14, when their UEFA Europa League campaign lasted two ties. They beat Botev Plovdiv of Bulgaria on away goals in the third qualifying round (1-1 a, 0-0 h) but then lost out to Rijeka of Croatia in the qualifying play-offs (1-2 a, 2-2 h).

Sebastian Hoeneß guided Stuttgart to second place in the 2023/24 Bundesliga – his first full season in charge having taken over in April 2023 – 17 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen but one above Bayern München. It was the Swabians' highest league finish since winning the last of their five league titles in 2006/07.

Links and trivia

Antonio Rüdiger came through the youth ranks at Stuttgart and played in the first team for four seasons between 2011 and 2015, making 80 appearances.

Have also played in Germany:
David Alaba (Bayern München 2009–21, Hoffenheim 2010/11 loan)
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund 2020–23)
Dani Carvajal (Bayer Leverkusen 2012/13)
Jesús Vallejo (Eintracht Frankfurt 2016/17)

Ancelotti was Bayern coach between 2016 and 2018, winning one Bundesliga title and two German Super Cups. He never faced Stuttgart, who were then in the second division.

Have played together:
Aurélien Tchouaméni & Alexander Nübel (Monaco 2021/22)
Aurélien Tchouaméni & Enzo Millot (Monaco 2020/21)
Jude Bellingham & Dan-Axel Zagadou (Borussia Dortmund 2020–22)

International team-mates:
Antonio Rüdiger & Maximilian Mittelstädt, Chris Führich, Deniz Undav, Angelo Stiller, Alexander Nübel (Germany)

Stuttgart's Ameen Al-Dakhil made his international debut alongside Thibaut Courtois in Belgium's 1-1 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying draw at home to Austria on 17 June 2023.

Latest news

Real Madrid

Madrid have started La Liga with three wins and two draws in their first five games. The Merengues are now 37 league games unbeaten, since a 3-1 loss at Atlético de Madrid on 24 September that was their only La Liga defeat in 2023/24.

On Saturday second-half penalties from Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé earned a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad, making it four spot kicks converted in five Liga games this season.

Brahim Díaz scored for Morocco in a 4-1 home win against Gabon on 6 September and in the 1-0 win over Lesotho three days later, both in CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

Rodrygo scored the winning goal in Brazil's 1-0 win over Ecuador in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 6 September.

Díaz was replaced midway through the first half on Saturday with an adductor problem.

David Alaba suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December and has yet to return.

Eduardo Camavinga suffered a sprained knee in training before the UEFA Super Cup and has not played this season.

Jude Bellingham has been out since 18 August due to plantar fasciitis.

Dani Ceballos has been out with a sprained ankle since 1 September; Éder Militão returned to play 90 minutes on Saturday after recovering from a muscle strain suffered in the same game.

Aurélien Tchouaméni picked up a foot problem in that 2-0 win against Real Betis on 1 September and has not played since.

Stuttgart

Stuttgart earned their first league win of the season on Saturday, triumphing 3-1 at Borussia Mönchengladbach with Deniz Undav scoring the first goal before Ermedin Demirović's second-half double that made it five goals in seven games for club and country.

The Swabians had a draw and a defeat from the first two games in this season's Bundesliga.

Despite new signing Demirović opening the scoring in the second minute, Stuttgart lost 3-1 in Freiburg in their season opener on 24 August before drawing 3-3 against Mainz a week later, conceding an added-time equaliser. Another summer arrival, Fabian Rieder, scored his first goal for his new club against Mainz.

Stuttgart were 5-0 winners at second-tier Münster in the German Cup first round on 27 August. Demirović was on target again with another new signing, Nick Woltemade, getting his first goal for the club.

On 17 August Stuttgart lost in the German Super Cup in Leverkusen. Enzo Millot and Undav scored their goals in a 2-2 draw before a 3-4 defeat on penalties.

On 7 September Demirović scored in Bosnia and Herzegovina's 5-2 UEFA Nations League loss away to Netherlands.

On the same day Angelo Stiller made his Germany debut as a late substitute in a 5-0 win against Hungary.

Undav marked his first start for Germany with his first international goal in a 2-2 draw in Netherlands on 10 September.

Woltemade scored twice for Germany in a 10-1 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying win in Estonia on 10 September.

Anthony Rouault, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Super Cup, made his return as a substitute on Saturday.

Dan-Axel Zagadou also came on at Mönchengladbach, his first appearance since being sidelined by a knee injury in February.

Leonidas Stergiou is yet to play this season due to back problems.

New signing Ameen Al-Dakhil, who had suffered a hip injury in February while playing for Burnley, resumed light training on 10 September.

On 31 August Stuttgart announced that Maximilian Mittelstädt had signed a contract extension until 2028. Atakan Karazor (2028) and Thomas Kastanaras (2026) also agreed new contracts in the summer break.