Stuttgart vs Borussia Mönchengladbach – News and Probable Lineups

Seeking their first points of the Bundesliga season, Borussia Monchengladbach will head to MHPArena on Friday to take on a Stuttgart side known for their inconsistency.

Die Roten are in pursuit of their initial victory in three contests, whereas Die Fohlen aim to avoid a seventh consecutive loss.

Match overview

Sebastian Hoeness’s Stuttgart secured fourth place in the previous league campaign, earning a spot in the Champions League. However, their start to the current season has been unexpectedly sluggish, contrary to expectations to capitalize on last year’s achievements.

Die Roten dropped four of their first six matches in the top division, including a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Hamburgo SV last Saturday.

This latest setback has positioned Hoeness’s team in 13th place in the Bundesliga, barely above the relegation zone with just six points.

A silver lining for Stuttgart has been their strong start to the Champions League group phase, remaining unbeaten with two wins and one draw, including a 1-1 stalemate against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

If Die Roten can transform their European form into domestic success on Friday, they may significantly alter the current trajectory of their season, especially as they are only four points away from the top five.

With this target in sight, Stuttgart’s supporters can take comfort from the fact that the team has lost just once in all competitions at MHPArena this season, having secured two wins and scoring a total of eight goals.

On the other hand, Gladbach has faced an abysmal start to the 2026-27 campaign, and head coach Alexander Blessin faces a considerable challenge to turn the situation around.

After a crushing 5-0 defeat to Freiburg on September 12, Die Fohlen dismissed Eugen Polanski and appointed Blessin before the international break.

Gladbach prepared for their return to Bundesliga action with two friendlies, achieving a 3-0 victory over Sportfreunde Siegen and drawing 1-1 against St. Pauli, where Blessin previously managed.

However, the 53-year-old started his tenure with a 2-1 loss to FC Koln on October 11, only to face the same scoreline against Hoffenheim last Sunday.

These consecutive defeats have left Blessin’s team sitting at the bottom of the table, still without a point.

Gladbach trails 15th-placed Schalke 04 by five points and is at high risk of being left behind compared to other relegation battlers this week.

Searching for any sign of improvement, the travelling fans might cling to the fact that the visitors have scored four goals in their last three league matches, finding the back of the net at least once in each—a stark contrast to their initial three-game scoring drought.

Team News

Stuttgart will be without left winger Justin Diehl due to a quadriceps injury, and there are concerns about the fitness of versatile attacker Tiago Tomas, who has been recuperating from a muscle issue.

If Tomas is unavailable, Jamie Leweling, Deniz Undav, and Chris Fuhrich are expected to fill in behind striker Ermedin Demirovic on Friday.

In defense, the presence of center-back Dan-Axel Zagadou is uncertain due to a hamstring problem, and there are doubts regarding right-back Josha Vagnoman after he had to leave the match against Atletico, which may lead to Finn Jeltsch and Jeff Chabot forming the central defensive pairing, flanked by Lorenz Assignon and Max Mittelstadt.

As for Gladbach, they may be dealing with a lengthy list of absentees, particularly in attack, as winger Franck Honorat (muscle), right winger Nicolas Kuhn (muscle), and striker Isac Lidberg (thigh) are doubtful, while Tim Kleindienst (thigh) and attacking midfielder Fritz Fleck (muscle) are definitely out.

In their absence, Hugo Bolin and Shuto Machino are likely to lead the attacking line, with Joe Scally and Wael Mohya providing support from the flanks.

Midfielder Enzo Leopold is at the early stages of recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and it remains unclear if Jens Castrop will make an appearance despite returning to training on Tuesday, but Florian Neuhaus and Zento Uno are prepared to feature in the midfield.

Elsewhere, Jan Leszczynski is sidelined with a knee injury, and fellow center-back Ko Itakura is a doubt with a muscle issue, meaning Kevin Diks and Fabio Chiarodia are expected to form the defensive pairing in front of goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas.

Stuttgart probable starting XI:

Seimen; Assignon, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Leweling, Undav, Fuhrich; Demirovic

Borussia Monchengladbach probable starting XI:

Nicolas; Sander, Diks, Chiarodia, Ullrich; Scally, Neuhaus, Uno, Mohya; Bolin, Machino

Despite their struggles domestically this season, Stuttgart may feel optimistic facing the Bundesliga’s bottom team.

Gladbach could potentially find themselves on the scoresheet for a fourth consecutive league match, although it would be surprising to see the visitors avoid defeat.