Bayern host VfB Stuttgart in clash of two attacking sides

Expectations are high for an attacking feast at a sold-out Allianz Arena as Bayern host VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday (kick-off at 6.30pm CEST, live coverage with our text commentary and free web radio on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app). The goal for Vincent Kompany’s men is to stay top of the table and lay down another marker against last season’s runners-up and the division’s third-best attack in 2024/25. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.

Check out the best photos from final training on Friday:

Latest news from Bayern

Bayern go into the weekend tied with RB Leipzig at the summit on 14 points. However, FCB failed to win any of their three competitive fixtures prior to the international break. “We’ve analysed the last few games. We were dominant, had many more chances than the opposition. The question that’s always important is how often we’d win if we played the game 10 times. It’s not perfect – we know that. It’s our job to do the details better,” said Kompany at Friday’s press conference. “We 100 percent believe that we will have success this way.” Proving that once again against Stuttgart is the next objective.

There’s great excitement in Munich ahead of Saturday’s encounter. “It’s a southern classic again. Stuttgart have made great progress. We’re really looking forward to the game,” said board member for sport Max Eberl. On one side there’s Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and the rest with their 20 goals after six games. On the other there’s the likes of Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling and Ermedin Demirovic leading Stuttgart’s 15-goal attack. It means fans can look forward to an exciting and attacking encounter.

Read more from Kompany and Eberl ahead of the match:

Opponent: VfB Stuttgart

Bayern’s respect towards this Stuttgart side is certainly big. “Alexander Wehrle and Fabian Wohlgemuth have developed an idea with Basti Hoeneß. They have a lot of young German players. It’s working and is remarkable what a good job they’re doing there,” Eberl added. Stuttgart provided the largest club contingent in Germany’s squad for October’s internationals with six players in Undav, Leweling, Alexander Nübel, Angelo Stiller, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Chris Führich. They will have all returned to Stuttgart full of confidence.

Last season saw Stuttgart shock the Bundesliga by finishing second, having only just survived relegation via the play-off 12 months earlier. A large part of that remarkable progress is down to Hoeneß, who was a coach in Bayern’s youth system from 2017 to 2020 and also led the reserves to the 3. Liga title. VfB’s squad also includes two Bayern loanees in Nübel and Frans Krätzig, as well as former FCB midfielder Stiller. The Swabians have nine points from six games so far this term, drawing each of their last three competitive fixtures.

We chatted with Stuttgart’s Bayern loanee Krätzig:

Team news

As well as long-term injury absentees Hiroki Ito (metatarsal), Josip Stanisic and Sacha Boey (both knee) are all still sidelined, Bayern are also without Jamal Musiala for this game due to an ongoing hip issue. Dayot Upamecano has been struggling with a thigh problem of late, with Kompany insisting that they will have to wait and see how the defender feels.

Stuttgart come to Munich without Führich (adductor), Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee), Justin Diehl (shoulder) and Luca Raimund (thigh).

Read up on the pre-match facts:

What the coaches say