Our next opponents: A squad with many new faces

Position

VfB Stuttgart succeeded in the final friendly ahead of the first competitive encounter in the new season. The free-flowing Swabians clocked up a convincing 4-0 victory against Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao at the weekend. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß came up with a suitably positive assessment: "We didn't know exactly how far we’d come before the game. Today was important for the lads to soak up the atmosphere but also be on the front foot at the kick-off. They did that against a top team. It was the next important step for us." Silas with a brace plus the two new signings Ermedin Demirovic and Nick Woltemade scored for VfB against the Basque side in front of 50,000 spectators at the MHP Arena.

The Bundesliga runners-up from last season are definitely in good shape for the Supercup final against the Werkself at the BayArena. Stuttgart won all their friendlies in the preseason with the exception of a goalless draw at FC Luzern and that included a 3-0 win against Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard plus two wins on their Japan tour (5-3 against Kyoto Sanga FC and 5-2 against Sanfrecce Hiroshima who are coached by the former Bayer 04 coach Michael Skibbe). VfB legend Guido Buchwald, two-time champion of Germany with Stuttgart and a World Cup winner in 1990, accompanied his club in Japan and was impressed with the performance levels of the group. "In the absence of stars, the new signings and talented youngsters were able to show what they could do and put themselves forward. All of them found their feet incredibly quickly. The chemistry in the team is right," wrote Buchwald in a contribution to the Kicker sports journal.

There is huge anticipation in Stuttgart ahead of the Supercup final. VfB and the Werkself were involved in exciting matches last season both in the Bundesliga (1-1; 2-2) as well as the DFB Pokal quarter-final (2-3). Ahead of the next meeting, Sebastian Hoeneß said: "Of course, we want to win but the situation is different at the beginning of the season." There have been a number of changes Swabians in terms of personnel.

Personnel

Striker Serhou Guirassy, who scored 28 goals last term, and key defender Waldemar Anton have moved on to Borussia Dortmund. VfB lost another key player with central defender Hiroki Ito joining Bayern Munich. All departures that will not be easy to replace. Germany international and Euro 2024 participant Anton was not only one of the best defenders in the league last season but also the Stuttgart captain.

Painful departures on the one hand, promising new signings on the other. Striker Ermedin Demirovic has arrived from FC Augsburg where he scored 15 goals and provided ten assists last season. He is one of the top five scorers and providers in the Bundesliga. There was real enthusiasm in Stuttgart with the permanent signing of the Germany international Deniz Undav who was previously on loan from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion as it was unclear if he would stay at Stuttgart. Undav played a big part in an outstanding season for VfB Stuttgart in 2023/24 with 18 goals and ten assists. The centre forward, known as a joker, is a fan favourite at VfB. Stuttgart have had to dig deep into their pockets for him and Demirovic. "We set record signings in the history of VfB for both of them," said head of the board Alexander Wehrle. While Demirovic is set to start at the BayArena on Saturday, Undav will probably not be in the line-up. The 28-year-old only recently joined full training along with his Germany teammates Chris Führich and Maximilian Mittelstädt following a break after Euro 2024.

New players in the VfB defence include central defender Jeff Chabot from FC Köln and left-back Frans Krätzig (on loan from FC Bayern). Permanent signings after being on loan last season are central defenders Anthony Rouault (FC Toulouse) and Leonidas Stergiou (FC St. Gallen). New arrivals in midfield are Fabian Rieder (Stade Rennes) and Yannik Keitel (SC Freiburg). The squad has been strengthened up front with the addition of Nick Woltemade (Werder Bremen) and Justin Diehl (FC Köln). VfB have also permanently signed Jamie Leweling after a period on loan from Union Berlin. The new captain at Stuttgart is Atakan Karazor, who is set to lead the team alongside key players like goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, midfield maestro Angelo Stiller and striker Deniz Undav. Dan-Axel Zagadou and Josha Vagnoman should return in several weeks after recovery from serious injuries.

Problems

As key players like Anton, Ito and Guirassy have left the club, several new signings need to be integrated and international players like Undav, Führich and Mittelstädt are behind in training after returning from the European Championships, it remains to be seen how quickly the team will find its feet and the coach can organise his players into a solid unit. "Of course, the leadership structure is not the same as last season," said Sebastian Hoeneß. "But it was the same before last season and it developed. We have a good team. You need to be patient to maximise the potential with hard work but patience is crucial at first." That applies to the new pair of strikers Undav/Demirovic. Will the two be able to form a partnership like Undav and Guirassy did last season?

Performers

Alongside the Werkself, VfB Stuttgart were probably the next best team in the Bundesliga. After almost being relegated in 2022/23, coach Sebastian Hoeneß developed a team that entertains with fast counter-attacking play and refreshing attacking football. The Swabians had the third best attack with 78 goals scored behind FC Bayern (94) and Bayer 04 (89). And that was not only due to the prolific duo of Guirassy/Undav. Players like Chris Führich (8), Enzo Millot, Silas (five each) and Jamie Leweling (4) made their contributions. The VfB defence was also impressive: Only Leverkusen conceded fewer goals (24) and Stuttgart (39, along with RB Leipzig). VfB played as a group with intelligence and good balance. High praise came from Xabi Alonso: "For me, VfB were one of the best teams in Europe last season," said the Bayer 04 head coach. As a result, he sees the Swabians as title challengers this season.