Real Madrid vs Stuttgart Prediction: Back a Home Win but BTTS

The defending champions return to the competition that they seem to know and love more than any side in Europe as Real Madrid host VfB Stuttgart in their opening game on Tuesday evening. Kick-off is set for 20:00 and the match will be live on TNT Sports 1.

Once again, our Madrid-based La Liga expert will be following their progress throughout the Champions League and he previews this one and gives us his Real Madrid vs Stuttgart Predictions...

Real Madrid kick off their UEFA Champions League title defence with a home game against VfB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday night. 

The clubs have never previously met in a competitive setting, but Real Madrid are certainly no strangers to facing German opposition. They defeated all of the four Bundesliga clubs involved in last season's competition on their way to a record-extending 15th European Cup. 

It was in many respects, a typical Real Madrid Champions League run. Having sailed through the group stage with maximum points, there were moments in all of their knockout ties when they looked up against it.  

Last 16 opponents RB Leipzig caused them plenty of problems in both legs, while the visiting goal was under siege for the best part of two hours in their quarter-final 2nd leg at Manchester City, before Los Blancos scraped through on penalties. Two dramatic late goals from Joselu turned likely defeat into victory in the semi-final against Bayern Munich, while Carlo Ancelotti's side had to weather an early Dortmund storm to win the final at Wembley. 

Real Madrid's success in this competition goes way beyond just good fortune though, with their individual and collective quality so great, that they almost always find a way.  

They've not lost a European match since the 2nd Leg of the 2022/23 semi-final at the Etihad. They've not lost a competitive match of any kind inside 90 minutes since a 3-1 derby defeat against Atlético Madrid in La Liga almost 12 months ago. 

Having won the competition in six of the last 11 seasons, Real Madrid head into this new era for the Champions League as the team to beat again, although their early performances this season in La Liga will offer hope to their European rivals. 

While three wins and two draws from five league outings is far from a disaster, things have not really clicked into place yet. They could easily have lost at the weekend, with Real Sociedad hitting the woodwork on three separate occasions at the Reale Arena in a game Los Blancos ultimately won 2-0 thanks to penalties from Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. 

Fresh from their best Bundesliga season in 17 years, VfB Stuttgart will travel to the Spanish capital believing they can cause a famous upset. They finished above Bayern Munich, albeit a distant second behind runaway champions Bayer Leverkusen in Germany last term. 

That feat came thanks to an attacking brand of football that saw them rattle in 78 goals in 34 league matches under the guidance of Sebastian Hoeneß, the latest bright young German managerial talent. 

This will not just be their first Champions League fixture since a Last 16 defeat against Pep Guardiola's Barcelona in 2010, but a first European match of any kind in more than a decade. 

They will head into the game in good spirits after a brace from Ermedin Demirović sealed a 3-1 victory at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga at the weekend. That was a first league win of the new campaign for Die Roten though, after a sluggish start that saw them concede three times against both SC Freiburg and Mainz. 

It's going to be very interesting to see how Hoeneß approaches this game. Their natural tendency is certainly not to park the bus, but with obvious defensive vulnerabilities, Stuttgart risk being exposed by Real Madrid's star-studded attack if they adopt a care-free approach to this fixture. 

Team News: 

There's good news on the injury front for Ancelotti with midfielders Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni back in training and potentially in a position to play some part in this game. 

Brahim Díaz started on the right flank against Real Sociedad on Saturday, but picked up an injury that's set to rule him out for several months. Rodrygo should return to the lineup in that role here with Vinícius and Mbappé also expected to start. 

The visitors are expected to be missing young defenders Frans Krätzig and Ameen Al Dakhil to injuries, while Leonidas Stergiou is also a doubt. 

Deniz Undav, who registered 18 goals and nine assists in last season's Bundesliga, should lead the line. Depending on how bold Hoeneß wants to be, he could operate as a lone striker or alongside Demirović who has started the new campaign brightly with four goals in six appearances for club and country. 

Real Madrid vs Stuttgart Odds

Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid are the clear favourites at 2/7 as they bid to make a winning start to their Champions League defence. You can back the Draw at 5/1, while Stuttgart are priced at 17/2 as they target a famous upset. 

Their attacking qualities do suggest they are capable of at least getting on the scoresheet, and you can back Both teams to score at 4/6. Over 3.5 Goals is priced at 10/11 and if you really expect the goals to flow, Both teams to score 2+ goals is on offer at 7/2. 

Kylian Mbappé leads the way as the 4/6 favourite to score anytime, while you can back the Frenchman at 11/4 to score first. As for the rest of Real Madrid's electric front three, Vinícius is priced 6/5 to get on the scoresheet in this game, while you can back Rodrygo to score anytime at 11/8. 

It's unlikely to be just one way traffic though and Stuttgart's forwards Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirović are both priced at 3/1 to score anytime and 11/1 to score first. 

If you fancy the Germans to hold their own until at least the break, backing Draw/Real Madrid in the Half-Time/Full-Time market may appeal at 100/30, a winning bet in the Spanish club's last two matches.  

*You can check out all of the Football Odds we offer over at betfred.com

Bet 1 - Real Madrid & Both teams to score @ 7/5 

While they've only conceded twice so far this term, Real Madrid have not been flawless defensively by any means and Real Sociedad beat Thibaut Courtois on three occasions at the weekend, only to be denied by the woodwork. 

It's not really in the DNA of this Stuttgart side to simply sit deep and play for a draw, so the visitors are likely to take measured risks in this game and try to get numbers forwards when the opportunity arises. 

They should have some joy with that approach and having scored at least once in all of their last 22 matches in all competitions, the visitors could certainly get on the scoresheet here. However, they may find the home attack tough to handle at the other end and I'm backing Real Madrid and Both teams to score at 7/5. 

Bet 2 - Over 2.5 Goals (90 mins) & Real Madrid to win the Second Half @ 17/20 

There have been three or more goals in 10 of Stuttgart's last 11 matches in all competitions and those hoping for some entertainment here, should not be disappointed. 

The Germans look capable of creating opportunities, but Real Madrid are masters of the art of coming on strong in the Second Half when they play in the Champions League at the Bernabeu. They scored at least once after the interval in all of their home games in the competition last season, while 10 of the 11 goals they've scored so far this season have come in the Second Half. 

Given that, I'm using the Bet Builder to back Over 2.5 Goals and Real Madrid to win the Second Half at 17/20. 

Mark Sochon primarily covers Spanish Football for us at Betfred Insights. You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Spanish Football writers on our La Liga home page...