What to expect from VfB Stuttgart in Munich

Bayern and VfB Stuttgart have seen plenty of each other already this year. The last league meeting was only in April, when the Bavarians won 4-2 to wrap up the Bundesliga title. They met again in May as the Reds completed a domestic double with a 3-0 victory in the DFB Cup final in Berlin. And now there’s a third meeting of 2026 as the defending champions host Stuttgart in the official opening match of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season at the Allianz Arena on Friday night. But what can we expect from the visitors this time? We take a closer look at their form, new signings and pre-season goings on.

Ins and outs, questions in goal

Stuttgart have added to their squad over the summer, including striker Dženan Pejčinović from Wolfsburg, who scored a hat-trick on his debut in the DFB Cup. Leo Sauer from Feyenoord and Tim van der Leij from Waalwijk are further attacking reinforcements. Grischa Prömel arrives from Hoffenheim with extensive Bundesliga experience in midfield, while Bilal El Khannouss is now a permanent member of the squad following his initial loan deal from Leicester City.

In defence, Leonidas Stergiou is back from his loan at Hoffenheim, but who might start behind him in goal? Dennis Seimen returned to Stuttgart after an impressive loan spell at Paderborn. He was viewed as the successor to Alexander Nübel but got injured early in pre-season and is expected to be out until the end of September. Marius Funk was signed from Energie Cottbus as third choice, while Fabian Bredlow played in the DFB Cup against Hansa Rostock and is likely to start again in the opening weeks of the campaign.

Pre-season form

Stuttgart’s initial pre-season friendly results were generally as expected, comfortably beating lower-league opponents in Balingen (7-0), Hollenbach (5-0) and Kickers Offenbach (8-1). Much more could be gleamed from their three encounters with international opposition. There was the 2-2 draw with Paris FC of Ligue 1, although not all VfB’s World Cup participants were back yet.

The following week they produced a 3-1 win over Everton in front of a crowd of 43,000 at the MHP Arena, with Nikolas Nartey, Ramon Hendriks and Badredine Bouanani on target. Their final action of pre-season saw them beaten 1-0 away at Fulham after squandering several chances and suggested what needed to be worked on.

Comfortably through in cup

While Bayern were lifting the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup at the weekend, Stuttgart began their DFB Cup campaign away at Hansa Rostock of the 3. Liga. New signing Pejčinović stole the headlines with his debut hat-trick in the 4-0 win. Although last Friday’s result was ultimately comfortable, Sebastian Hoeneß’s men struggled at times against the hosts’ resolute defending, before a late flourish from Pejčinović and Tiago Tomás.

Turning to this Friday’s opener, it means Stuttgart arrive on the back of a win and an in-form striker in a bolstered attack. Having lost four times in all competitions to Bayern last season, what sort of threat will they pose as the curtain rises on the 2026/27 league campaign?