VfB Stuttgart vs. 1. FC Köln preview: Hosts looking to rebound against in-form Köln

Can Stuttgart bounce back after their first match disaster against an emboldened Köln side?

Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images

Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images

VfB Stuttgart will make their Bundesliga home debut for the 2026/27 campaign against 1. FC Köln. What can we expect to see from each team in the opening game of matchday 2?

VfB Stuttgart

After a crushing defeat to Bayern München in last year’s Pokal final at the hands of Harry Kane, Stuttgart were once again humiliated by the Bavarians this time in the first match of the season, losing in a 5-1 demolition job marking Stuttgart’s 7th consecutive loss against the reigning champions (fact of the day: in those 7 matches, Stuttgart scored 5 and conceded a crushing 26). 

Stuttgart made it competitive when Josha Vagnoman cancelled out Upamecano’s opener in the 52nd minute, before Bayern made it 3-1 just 5 minutes later (including a Vagnoman own goal). Pavlović and Diaz would finish off Stuttgart later in the half.  

Although losing to Bayern is not exactly shocking, the shellacking handed to Stuttgart was quite surprising, especially after their convincing 4-0 victory over Hansa Rostock in the Pokal first round. Against Köln, Stuttgart will certainly have something to prove as they look to shake off the jitters they experienced in that first matchday. 

Stuttgart unfortunately have a laundry list of injuries that hamper their depth, notably including Tiago Tomás who is out with a muscle injury and is expected to remain absent until after the upcoming international break. Other names include Lorenz Assignon, Nikolas Nartey, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Jeremy Arévalo, Luca Jaquez, Justin Diehl and Dennis Seimen. 

A win against Köln would not only steer Stuttgart back on course, but also give them some confidence as they face a gauntlet in the lead-up to the international break that includes key matchups against Hoffenheim and Dortmund, as well as a Champions League opener against Norwegian side Viking FK beforehand. 

1. FC Köln

Köln on the other hand have had a rather remarkable start to the Bundesliga campaign. 

After a teetering 2025/26 season which saw them finish 14th (3 points above the relegation playoffs and 6 above the automatic places), Köln opened this season with another shaky performance which saw them eke out a 2-1 comeback victory over newly promoted 3. Liga side Würzburger Kickers in the DFB-Pokal first round. Coming up against Hoffenheim, a team that secured a Europa League spot last season after finishing 5th, there was reason to believe that Köln were in for a belting.

And yet all expectations were subverted when Köln fought back in the 2nd half to overturn not one, but two Hoffenheim leads to win 3-2 at home in the RheinEnergieStadion. Loan signing Thijs Dallinga was the hero of the match, scoring in the 72nd and 82nd minutes to both equalise and win the match for Köln. Said El Mala scored Köln’s first equalizer in the 51st minute. 

Köln shotstopper Marvin Schwäbe also saved the day with a critical penalty save against Max Moerstedt in the 57th minute. 

Unfortunately for Köln, this matchup against Stuttgart is going to be difficult with the absences of previous matchday heroes El Mala and Dallinga, both out with illnesses. 

Given that Köln have lost a substantial chunk of their offense, it’s probably safe to assume that the Billy Goats will be looking to bunker down as much as possible against the onslaught that is Stuttgart’s offense, and perhaps look to force a draw which would already be an excellent result that could set them up nicely for their next matchup against Werder Bremen (hopefully, with both El Mala and Dallinga healthy once again). 

Köln will also be without Luca Waldschmidt, Sebastian Sebulonsen and Timo Hübers, all out with injury-related problems. 

Head to head

Both teams will certainly have something to prove after the first matchday. Stuttgart, coming off a humiliating defeat against Bayern, will be looking to pick themselves back up at home in the MHPArena. Köln on the other hand will be looking to ride the momentum of their victory against Hoffenheim, and potentially strike while the iron is hot in Baden-Württemberg. 

The problem for Köln is that it’s going to be quite a tall order if they want to overcome another Bundesliga side playing in European competition. 

Köln are currently on a winless streak against VfB, having not beaten them since 2021 (2 draws, 5 losses) when they came out of Stuttgart with a 2-0 win in the Pokal. Their last away win against Stuttgart in the league came all the way back in 2015. 

Stuttgart have their own voodoo to overcome this matchup - the last time that Stuttgart lost their opening 2 matches in the Bundesliga, they ended up being relegated in the 2018/19 season. Should they lose to Köln, it will almost certainly mean that Stuttgart will become the first Bundesliga side ever to be relegated in the same season that they play Champions League football… only joking of course! 

Predicted Lineups

Click here to find the predicted lineups for VfB Stuttgart vs. 1. FC Köln.