VfB Stuttgart maintain unbeaten UEFA Champions League start with Atlético Madrid draw
VfB Stuttgart moved onto seven points from three UEFA Champions League games after drawing 1-1 at home to 10-man Atlético Madrid.
VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Atlético Madrid
Goals: 1-0 Leweling 36’, 1-1 Álvarez 47’ (assist: Lookman)
Red card: Hjulmand 64’
Stuttgart made three changes from their previous outing, with Maximilian Mittelstädt, Grischa Prömel and Chris Führich coming into the side, while Finn Jeltsch, Atakan Karazor and Ermedin Demirović dropped to the bench.
Atlético, under Diego Simeone, also made alterations, with former Bayer Leverkusen left-back Alejandro Grimaldo, Álex Baena, Marcos Llorente and Julián Álvarez all starting for the visitors.
Stuttgart dominate the opening period
The hosts started brightly, forcing Jan Oblak into a string of saves inside the first minutes through Bilal El Khannouss and Joshua Vagnoman. Angelo Stiller and Jamie Leweling both tested the Atlético goalkeeper before Mittelstädt was booked for a challenge on Giuliano Simeone in the 17th minute.
Stuttgart continued to press, and in the 36th minute Marc Pubill lost the ball to Stiller near his own box, with the ball reaching Leweling, who drove it into the bottom corner to make it 1-0. Atlético grew slightly more active before the break without finding a clear chance, and the hosts went in ahead at half-time.
Álvarez levels early in the second half
Atlético made an immediate impact after the restart, having introduced Ademola Lookman for Jonathan David at the break. In the 47th minute, Lookman found space on the left and crossed low into the middle, where Julián Alvarez swept the ball in from close range to make it 1-1.
The hosts responded by sending on Lorenz Assignon for Vagnoman, and Führich came close with a curling effort that flew narrowly wide.
Hjulmand sees red, Stuttgart press for a winner
In the 64th minute, Morten Hjulmand was shown a straight red card for a high, open-soled challenge on Stiller in midfield, leaving Atlético to play out the remainder of the match with ten men. Stuttgart continued to push forward, with Prömel heading wide and Jeff Chabot narrowly missing from a corner late on, while Grischa Prömel also forced a save from Oblak.
Despite sustained pressure in the closing stages, including a header wide from substitute Dženan Pejčinović in stoppage time, the hosts could not find a second goal, and the match finished 1-1.
Stuttgart return to European action on 3 November when they travel to Turkish giants Galatasaray.
