VfB Stuttgart travel to face Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga season opener on August 28, 2026, hampered by a significant injury crisis. The match kicks off at 19:30 GMT. Stuttgart start the matchday in 18th place with zero points, already three points behind the league-leading Bavarians.
The personnel issues at VfB Stuttgart are substantial. Manager Sebastian Hoeness will be without at least eight players. In addition to the longer-term absentees Dennis Seimen, Dan-Axel Zagadou, and Leo Sauer, further setbacks have occurred. Nikolas Nartey suffered a hamstring injury in the opening minutes of the DFB-Pokal win over Hansa Rostock. According to the current injuries list, Lorenz Assignon, Luca Jaquez, Jeremy Arevalo, and Justin Diehl are also unavailable. Seimen is not expected back until late September at the earliest.
Despite the injuries, VfB Stuttgart have strengthened the squad. The 21-year-old German striker Dženan Pejčinović was signed from VfL Wolfsburg. Additionally, winger Leo Sauer and attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss joined, the latter on a permanent deal following a loan from Leicester City. Pejčinović is projected to lead the line in a probable 4-2-3-1 formation, with Deniz Undav behind him. No official confirmation of the lineup has been given, however.
VfB Stuttgart's preparation has been mixed. Their last competitive match was the 4-0 cup victory over Rostock on August 21. Prior to that, they suffered a 1-0 friendly defeat to Fulham and drew 2-2 with Paris FC in late July. Across their last five matches in all competitions, Stuttgart recorded three wins, one draw, and one loss, scoring 16 goals and conceding eight. Their Bundesliga record shows one goal scored and five conceded, leaving them with a -4 goal difference.
Recent history heavily favors Bayern Munich. The most recent meeting was Bayern's 3-0 victory in the DFB-Pokal final on May 23, 2026. In April of the same year, Bayern won the Bundesliga home fixture 4-2. the Bavarians have won the last five head-to-head matches, scoring 15 goals and conceding four. This presents a major sporting challenge for Stuttgart, especially given the lengthy list of absentees.
VfB Stuttgart's focus will quickly shift to the next challenge. Just days after the trip to Munich, Stuttgart host sixth-placed 1. FC Köln on September 4. This home game presents a direct opportunity to secure the first points of the Bundesliga campaign and climb out of the relegation zone. The current standings underline the urgency. The coming weeks will show how Sebastian Hoeness's team handles this difficult start to the season.
