VfB Stuttgart and Atletico Madrid face each other in a competitive fixture for the first time on Tuesday 20 October. The highly anticipated UEFA Champions League league-phase encounter at the MHP Arena kicks off at 21:00 CEST.
“One of European football’s best”
“Atletico are one of European football’s very best sides,” Sebastian Hoeneß said on Monday. “It’s because of games like these that we’ve been looking forward to the Champions League so much. They’re an exciting team with exceptionally talented individual players. We want to see how we measure up against Atletico, even though we’re fully aware that they’re in really good form at the moment.” Atleti are currently second in the Spanish top flight, with 22 points from a possible 27 so far. They beat Manchester United 2-0 in their last Champions League encounter, having lost 2-1 at Liverpool in their league-phase opener.
“The key will be finding the right balance between intensity and composure,” Hoeneß continued. “We need good structure, good balance, and we need to be particularly alert when our opponents transition from defence to attack.” Leaving enough players behind the ball, pressing well and playing with pace were other points that were repeatedly brought up by the 44-year-old at Monday’s pre-match press conference. “We’ve put ourselves in a good position with our two wins – and therefore have a huge opportunity,” he added. “Every point is a bonus. That should make us even more motivated to get a positive result.”
Maximilian Mittelstädt available
There was good news on the personal front, with Maximilian Mittelstädt having almost fully recovered from the cut he sustained to his heel against Paderborn earlier this month. The defender is back in full training and could well be included in the matchday squad against Atleti.
Nikolas Nartey and Ameen Al-Dakhil are also training again, but Hoeneß must continue to make do without Dan-Axel Zagadou, Tiago Tomás und Justin Diehl.
