CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAYER RATINGS | Real Madrid 3-1 VfB Stuttgart | OneFootball

In their opening game of this season’s Champions League, and their first in over 14 years, VfB Stuttgart lost 3-1 to Real Madrid.

Which team are the defending champions and regulars in the Champions League? If the first half was anything to go by the answer would be Stuttgart. The Bundesliga side took the game to Madrid and it paid off. VfB had the best chances of the half with Enzo Millot having two great chances to give Stuttgart the lead. The record winners did not have the answers to Stuttgart’s attack and the Swabians also had the answers for Madrid’s attack and were able to thwart the efforts of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo.

However, Stuttgart would regret those missed chances as Mbappe opened the scoring just after the start of the second half. VfB did not ‘shit their pants’ and continued to play their game and the chances came and they finally equalised when Deniz Undav headed the ball past Thibaut Courtois. Stuttgart then pushed for a winner but was punished from a corner when former Stuttgart player Antonio Rüdiger scored the winner for Madrid.

Ultimately, this was a performance to be proud of for Stuttgart as they were the better team for the majority of the game against Madrid, in the Bernabeu no less. However, their return to the Champions League showed how every chance matters and how these mega teams can always get the job done even when they are not at their best.

Another takeaway is that their finishing just generally needs to be better IF Ermedin Demirovic was on the end of the Millot chances, this could have been a different story,

Stuttgart’s next game in the Champions League is against Sparta Prague and if they play like they did tonight, they can definitely make the playoff round.

VfB Stuttgart XI:

Alexander Nübel (5), Josha Vagnoman (6), Anthony Rouault (5), Jeff Chabot (5), Maximilian Mittelstädt (6), Atakan Karazor (6), Angelo Stiller (5), Jamie Leweling (6) Enzo Millot (6), Chris Führich (6), Deniz Undav (7)

Others: Anrie Chase (6), Fabian Rieder (6), El Bilal Touré (5), Ermedin Demirovic (5), Dan-Axel Zagadou (-)

GGFN Man of the Match: Deniz Undav (7)

He was a menace to Real Madrid’s defence throughout the evening. The 28-year-old was tireless on and off the ball and in the first half, Madrid did not have the answers for Undav. In the second half, he continued to be a hound and was rewarded with the equaliser. If Enzo Millot was able to finish his chances better, then this performance from Undav could have been even better.

GGFN | Jack Meenan