Stuttgart vs Sparta Prague Prediction: Undav is in great form

VfB Stuttgart welcome Sparta Prague to the Merecedes-Benz Arena on Tuesday (17:45, TNT Sports 1) for the second round of Champions League fixtures. The hosts were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid last time out, while Sparta Prague were 3-0 winners over RB Salzburg.

Stuttgart are unbeaten in their last four Bundesliga games, while Sparta Prague were beaten at home on their last league outing. Below you will find my Stuttgart vs Sparta Prague prediction, alongside the latest match odds and team news.

Stuttgart vs Sparta Prague Odds

Stuttgart are 2/5 to win here, which gives them a 71.4% chance of victory. Sparta Prague are valued at 6/1, giving them an implied probability of 14.3%. The draw can be backed at 4/1 (20%).

Over 2.5 goals is marketed at 2/5 and both teams to score is available at 4/7. Stuttgart forwards

Ermedin Demirovic and Deniz Undav have both netted four goals in the Bundesliga this season, and they are 21/20 and 1/1 respectively to score anytime on Tuesday evening. Undav was the consolation goalscorer in the defeat to Real Madrid last time out in the Champions League too.

Sparta Prague winger Ermal Krasniqi has scored three goals in nine Czech First League matches this term. He is priced at 4/1 to find the back of the net at any stage during this contest.

Football Odds

Team News 

Atakan Karazor was shown a red card for two bookable offences in the draw with Wolfsburg over the weekend but his suspension only applies to domestic matches, so Stuttgart will have their captain available for this crunch European clash on home soil.

The hosts have a bit of a defensive crisis, however, as Leonidas Stergiou and Dan-Axel Zagadou are both unavailable due to injury. Even Justin Diehl and Nikolas Nartey, who were not named in Stuttgart's Champions League squad, are currently in the treatment room.

Boss Sebastian Hoeneß will be hoping that former Burnley man Ameen Al-Dakhil will be able to return to action after suffering with a recent illness. Undav was a substitute at the weekend, so he is likely to lead the line up front on Tuesday.

For Sparta Prague, they are without the services of Elias Cobbaut and Mathias Ross due to injury.

Veljko Birmancevic is likely to feature in attack having scored three goals already in the Champions League (including qualifiers), while he has also netted three times in eight Czech First League appearances in 2024/25.

Stuttgart and both teams to score @ 6/4

Stuttgart did an incredible job in the Bundesliga last season to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2009/10, and no one can besmirch them for losing their opening fixture away to the kings of this competition in Real Madrid.

Their Champions League journey truly starts now and they will want to give their supporters something to celebrate when European football returns to this part of Germany on Tuesday.

I think they have a talented squad and a strong manager who can deliver them results in this glorious competition, so I think they can get off to a perfect start on home soil by beating Sparta Prague. Hoeneß's men are unbeaten in their last four in the Bundesliga, and they did give a good account of themselves against Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu on matchday one, even scoring against the defending champions.

They will find this test less challenging, but it will still be tough. Sparta's tails will be up from their 3-0 win over RB Salzburg, but their latest domestic defeat will have dented their confidence. Momentum heading into this match is with the hosts so I think it is only right to back them to come out on top, but the visitors do have some good attacking players who can cause trouble so I've added both teams to score.

Deniz Undav anytime goalscorer @ 1/1

Since first linking up with Stuttgart on loan last season, German striker Undav has been a regular source of goals. I'm hardly surprised to see this because I always felt there was a player to be unlocked at Brighton & Hove Albion, but sometimes it takes the right setting for that to happen.

Undav is now a permanent Stuttgart player and he will be the key for his team to navigate their way through the league phase of the 2024/25 Champions League. He is already off the mark, and scoring at the Bernabeu will do wonders for his confidence. If he can score against the best team in Europe in their own backyard, he will feel like he can score against anyone.

The German international has scored in his last four appearances across all competitions, so he is on a bit of a hot streak right now, so I think it's only right to back him to keep this fine run going. I have him to score anytime in this contest.

Offers

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