Champions League
2026-10-20 - VfB Stuttgart vs Atletico Madrid
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; UEFA Champions League: 3rd Round
MHP Arena – Stuttgart, Germany
Tuesday, 20th October 2026 - kickoff 21:00 CET
VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart have made a perfect start to their UEFA Champions League campaign, beating Viking FK 3-1 at home before thrashing Slovan Bratislava 0-3 away.
Their great European form contrasts with a difficult Bundesliga run. Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Hamburger SV was their third loss in four Bundesliga games, despite VfB Stuttgart recording 24 shots in the game.
Ermedin Demirović scored a hat-trick against Viking FK and remains an important attacking threat. VfB Stuttgart have shown they can score goals in Europe, but they need to be more clinical after failing to find the net against Hamburger SV.
Defending at home is another problem. VfB Stuttgart have conceded in each of their last 13 home matches in the UEFA Champions League. That record is worrying against an Atletico Madrid side that has scored consistently during its recent winning run.
Maximilian Mittelstädt is expected to be available again after a recent injury, while VfB Stuttgart still have several longer-term absentees.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid arrive in Germany in excellent form. Diego Simeone's side beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Champions League before winning 0-1 away to Espanyol on Saturday. They have now won six consecutive matches in all competitions and look a difficult side to stop.
Julian Alvarez, Alex Baena and Pablo Barrios give Atletico Madrid quality in attack. Pablo Barrios scored against Manchester United, while Ademola Lookman also found the net in that victory.
Atletico Madrid have scored in each of their last six matches, which gives them a good chance of testing VfB Stuttgart's vulnerable defense.
Atletico Madrid have won their last three UEFA Champions League matches against German sides, although all three victories came at home.
Captain Koke is unavailable with a muscle injury in his left thigh. Johnny Cardoso also missed the Espanyol match through illness, and is doubtful for this game.
The Betting Verdict
I lean towards goals here. VfB Stuttgart have looked far more convincing in Europe than in the Bundesliga, while Atletico Madrid arrive on a six-game winning run and have scored in every match during that spell.
My pick is Over 2.5 Goals at around 1.50. I expect both sides to have many shots, and I prefer the goals market to picking a winner in what could be a close game.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Atletico Madrid
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take Over 2.5 Goals at odds of 1.50 with Bet365
