Bundesliga
Stuttgart vs Bayer Leverkusen
9:30 ET
Newly-promoted Stuttgart opened their Bundesliga campaign with a 3-2 defeat at home to Freiburg, going 3-0 down before mounting a late - and ultimately unsuccessful - comeback.
However, they bounced back in style in their second outing, beating Mainz by an emphatic 4-1 scoreline in a hectic game that featured a red card for each side. Despite that, it is an encouraging three points as Pellegrino Matarazzo's side look ahead to the visit of Leverkusen.
Leverkusen finished fifth last season, boasting the fifth-best attacking and defensive records in the division, and proved themselves a solid side. Perhaps the departures of last season's top scorer - Kai Havertz - and second-highest scorer - Kevin Volland - have blunted them in the attacking third, with new signing Patrik Schick yet to find his first league goal.
Head coach Peter Bosz will have to address his side's attacking issues swiftly, or risk regressing from last season and slipping out of the European places.
However, they bounced back in style in their second outing, beating Mainz by an emphatic 4-1 scoreline in a hectic game that featured a red card for each side. Despite that, it is an encouraging three points as Pellegrino Matarazzo's side look ahead to the visit of Leverkusen.
Leverkusen finished fifth last season, boasting the fifth-best attacking and defensive records in the division, and proved themselves a solid side. Perhaps the departures of last season's top scorer - Kai Havertz - and second-highest scorer - Kevin Volland - have blunted them in the attacking third, with new signing Patrik Schick yet to find his first league goal.
Head coach Peter Bosz will have to address his side's attacking issues swiftly, or risk regressing from last season and slipping out of the European places.