As Red Star Belgrade prepares to face VfB Stuttgart in a pivotal UEFA Champions League match, both teams come into the game with contrasting narratives. Red Star has struggled in the Champions League this season, currently holding a dismal record of zero points and suffering significant defeats against formidable opponents like Barcelona and Monaco . In stark contrast, Stuttgart is experiencing their first foray into European competition in over a decade and sits ninth in the Bundesliga after an inconsistent start marred by injuries to key players .
This match represents the first-ever meeting between these sides, though Red Star did face German opponents RB Leipzig in this competition last season and lost both group-stage matches. Stuttgart’s only previous encounter with Serbian opponents came way back in the 2008-09 season against Partizan and they won the match 2-0.
The hosts have lost each of their last eight Champions League matches and are the clear underdogs in this one. After earning victory on matchday three, the visitors are now looking to record consecutive away wins for the first time ever in European competition. Let’s get into the key stats in this fixture.
Ramon Hendriks is also not registered, while Dan Axel Zagadou injury is definitely out and Amin Al-Dakhil (illness) is a doubt.
With four points from their first four Champions League games, Stuttgart could really do with a win, and it's safe to say the same about Crvena Zvezda, who sit second from bottom with 0 points.
Having lost 5-2 to Barcelona and 5-1 to Monaco in their last two games in the competition, the Serbian champions will certainly be hoping for a different result this time around.
Match lineups:
Red Star Belgrade possible starting lineup: M. Ilic; Young-woo, Spajic, Djiga, Rodic; Krunic, Elsnik; Silas, Maksimovic, L. Ilic; Ndiaye
Stuttgart possible starting lineup: Nubel; Stergiou, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Rieder, Millot, Fuhrich; Demirovic
The anticipated lineups suggest that both teams will field competitive squads despite their injury challenges. For Stuttgart, several attacking options are unavailable due to injuries, which may hamper their offensive capabilities. Conversely, Red Star will look to capitalize on their domestic dominance while hoping for contributions from returning players like Bruno Duarte. Analysts predict a high-scoring affair given both teams' defensive vulnerabilities and prolific scoring records domestically .
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