21 January 2025. 22:00. Bratislava. Stade Tehelne Pole.
Champions League. Group stage. Day 7
Slovan (Bratislava, Slovakia) – Stuttgart (Allemagne)
Disqualified: Carlos (Aston Villa)
Injured: Kucka – Zahada, Raimund, Dil, Bilal Toure, Mittelstadt (?)
In Bratislava, at the Tehelne Pole Stadium, the matchday 7 clash of the Champions League group stage will see local team Slovan take on Stuttgart. For the hosts, their last two league matches were mere formalities, as they lost all hope of progressing in the playoffs. Now the Slovak team is fighting to avoid ending their campaign with zero points. For the visitors, this match has significant importance as they find themselves in 26th place in the standings and still have a chance to grab the final playoff spot.
Slav (B)
Slovan have come a long way in Champions League qualifying, having beaten Struga, Celje, APOEL and Midtjylland to reach their long-awaited group stage. However, this start has been anything but brilliant, as evidenced by their penultimate position in the group rankings. Slovan are one of three clubs yet to score a point at this stage, with a goal difference of 5-21, only managing to surpass Young Boys – hardly a cause for pride.
In their first three matches against Celtic and Girona away, and Manchester City at home, the Bratislava team suffered heavy defeats with a cumulative score of 1:11. In the next three games they managed to score regularly, but it had little consequence, conceding ten goals against Dinamo Zagreb, Milan and Atletico. The best opportunity for Slovan to reach their first points was in the home match against Milan, where they lost 2:3. It was the only match they lost by one goal. Throughout the league stage, Slovan led the score for just five minutes in their home match against Dinamo, eventually ending up being beaten 1:4.
-An additional challenge for the capital team is that they have not played official matches since mid-December, as the Slovak league is currently on break. In preparation for their match against Stuttgart, the hosts prepared in a friendly match against Qatari side Al-Gharafa, which they won 2:1. In the Slovak league, the champions are currently at the top, although their position at the top is not as secure as last season, with only three points ahead of Zilina. Nevertheless, 14 wins in 18 matches remains impressive. On the other hand, home dominance proved insignificant in the Champions League, and once again Slovan will go into the match against Stuttgart as an underdog.
Stuttgart
Unlike their next opponent, Stuttgart has a lot to play for in the coming days. Their return to the Champions League, the first since the 2009/10 season after a fantastic final campaign in the Bundesliga, could yet prove successful. The decisive match could be against PSG on the last day of the group stage, scheduled at home next week. However, to maintain their chances of reaching the top 24 by then, they must secure a victory in Bratislava. So far, Stuttgart has not shone on the road in the Champions League. They suffered a 1:3 defeat against Real Madrid on the opening day, conceding two goals in the last ten minutes of normal time. Although they then claimed a narrow victory against Juventus in Turin with a late goal from Toure while the ‘Bianconeri’ played outnumbered, their last away game was a huge disappointment. In Belgrade, Heness’ players went in search of three points but ultimately conceded five goals, scoring only once – a 1:5 defeat.
At home in the Champions League, after a draw against Sparta and a defeat against Atalanta, the Schwabens finally achieved a victory on the final day, crushing the worst team in the tournament at the moment – Young Boys. All five goals were scored by different players: Stiller, Milla, Furich, Wagnoman and Keitel. Interestingly, this victory was a comeback, as the Swiss team opened the scoring early in the match.
Stuttgart’s results at the start of 2025 suggest that defeating another Champions League away outsider should be well within their reach. In the Bundesliga this season, Stuttgart are once again fighting for a place in the Champions League, currently being in fourth place after 18 games. Their last three matches in the German championship have systematically ended in victories for Stuttgart. They beat Augsburg away, and at home have picked up wins against Leipzig and Freiburg, the latter impressively with a 4:0 scoreline last weekend. Since the heavy defeat in Belgrade, Stuttgart have won three consecutive away games, indicating a high probability that past mistakes will not be repeated in Bratislava.
Slovan (B) – Stuttgart : Predictable Compositions
Kucka will miss the match for the hosts, but Wojtkow could make his return to the starting XI. Danilo Ignatenko is unlikely to make the starting XI following his injury ahead of Slovan’s final Champions League match against Atletico. Zahada, Raimund, Dil and Bilal Toure are unavailable for the visitors. Mittelstadt’s participation in the match is also uncertain.
Slovan (B) – Stuttgart : Author’s prediction
Slovan no longer has tournament motivation. Additionally, Weiss’ team has not played any official matches recently. Therefore, I expect Stuttgart, who are currently in good form, to secure a convincing victory here.
