"It is simply great to measure yourself against such an incredible team," Sebastian Hoeneß told SPORT1, as VfB Stuttgart prepare for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League league phase. He called it a rare occasion for the club and said a match like this once seemed unimaginable years ago. Stuttgart host Atletico at the MHPArena on matchday three at 21.00 hours on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

Hoeneß's view of Atletico

Hoeneß also said Diego Pablo Simeone's side have "a really exciting" group of "incredible individual players", and added that the key for Stuttgart will be "to find the right balance between intensity and calm". He wants structure and alertness against Atletico's transitions, which is a fair place to start against a team he clearly rates highly.

The respect comes with a bit of momentum behind it. Stuttgart have won their first two Champions League matches, beating Viking 3-1 at home and Slovan Bratislava 3-0 away, and sit fourth in the league-phase standings with 6 points from 2 matches and a goal difference of +5.

Atletico are 15th with 3 points from 2 matches, so Stuttgart are not walking into this as underdogs in the standings. Hoeneß has still framed the game as a special test rather than a routine chance to bank more points, and that fits the tone around the tie.

Stuttgart's starting position

Hoeneß told Europa Press that the squad are "especially excited" and that the game offers a "huge opportunity" from a good starting position. He said Stuttgart want to improve it by adding extra points against Atletico, which is the practical side of the night, even if the occasion itself already feels like a step up for the club.

Ermedin Demirović said, "The stadium will be burning, we will be burning." That should suit Stuttgart if they can keep the match controlled, because the atmosphere will be intense and the margin for loose transitions should be small.

The only awkward footnote is the opposition label attached to Stuttgart's opening home win, which has been listed as Viking in one account and Stavanger in another. Either way, the standings are clear enough: Stuttgart arrive unbeaten in Europe, with 2 wins from 2 and a place in the top four before Atletico visit.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →