Stuttgart vs Atletico Madrid prediction 20.10.2026 | Champions League

After one year of absence from the most elite UEFA competition, Stuttgart returned to the Champions League. They had a strong start to the first two rounds and, after beating Viking and Slovan Bratislava, Sebastian Hoeness' team is in a good position to fight for a place in the knockout phase. In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart are in a much weaker position, having collected only six points from their first six matches. Hoeness' team won two of the last three matches in all competitions. In the most recent outing, Stuttgart lost 1-0 on the road against Hamburger SV. The guests probably deserved more, as they finished with xG of 2.28, but inefficiency cost them points.

After the previous league-round defeat, Sebastian Hoeness was understandably disappointed. He stated, "Efficiency was a big part of the story of the game. We just couldn't get the ball over the line. Today is a bitter pill to swallow. In the end, it's all about goals. The lads who didn't score today know that better than anyone."

Stuttgart have big problems with injuries. Ameen Al-Dakhil, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Tiago Tomas, and Justin Diehl will miss Tuesday night. Maximilian Mittelstadt and Nikolas Nartey are questionable for the upcoming tie, and their status will become clearer closer to kickoff.

Atletico Madrid endured inconsistent performances in August and September, but their strong recent form suggests Diego Simeone's side are firmly back on track. Atletico Madrid opened the Champions League with three points from two matches, while in La Liga, Los Colchoneros are in second place with five points behind Barcelona. Atletico Madrid won the last six matches across all competitions. In the previous game, they won 1-0 on the road against Espanyol. Although the visitors dominated, they struggled to break down their opponents. Eventually, Alex Baena's late strike secured all three points.

Diego Simeone was pleased with a tough win over Espanyol. The head coach commented, "We had chances to score, but when you don't take your opportunities, the game drags on, and your opponents grow in confidence. They start to believe they can catch you out on a counterattack because you're pushing so many players forward. However, we managed to keep that under control and take the game in the direction we wanted. Winning 1-0 in such an incredibly difficult match."

Koke is unlikely to travel to Stuttgart for Tuesday's match, while Johnny Cardoso is questionable.