Kylian Mbappe embarks on his journey to win his first Champions League title as he joins Real Madrid in defending their championship against Stuttgart on Tuesday.
The French forward, who reached the semifinals in 2017 with Monaco and was a runner-up in 2020 with Paris Saint-Germain, is the main addition to a Madrid team that secured their 15th European Cup at Wembley in June.
Stuttgart will visit Estadio Bernabeu after securing their first victory of the season with a 3-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Sebastian Hoeness' team couldn't have asked for a more exciting match-up as they make their return to the top tier of European football for the first time since 2010.
Team news
Jude Bellingham is doubtful for the Real Madrid squad as he undergoes a late fitness assessment.
The English midfielder missed the trip to San Sebastian for the 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad due to a muscle injury.
Aurelien Tchouameni also sat out the game, but manager Carlo Ancelotti is optimistic about their potential return soon.
Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy overcame injury worries to play over the weekend, while David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Eduardo Camavinga are still not back in full training.
On the other hand, Stuttgart will be without Leonidas Stergiou and Nikolas Nartey due to back and knee issues respectively.
Hoeness might stick to the same lineup that won at Borussia Park, with Ermedin Demirovic partnering with Deniz Undav after the newcomer's two goals on Saturday. Chris Fuhrich could potentially replace Fabian Rieder on the wing.
The stats
Real Madrid have won nine of their last 12 home matches in the Champions League.
Stuttgart's games have seen at least four goals in each this season with both teams scoring every time.
Die Roten have netted four of their seven Bundesliga goals within the first 22 minutes.
Prediction
While much focus will be on Mbappe, Stuttgart should also be cautious of Real Madrid's winger in-form Vinicius Junior.
The Brazilian has scored in consecutive LaLiga matches and played a significant role in their European Cup triumph last season.
In comparison to Mbappe, who scored eight goals in the previous season's competition, Vinicius exceeded his expected goals of 4.5 by scoring six times in 10 games.
It seems likely that Vinicius will take the next penalty for Real Madrid, as Ancelotti has let his top penalty-takers share the responsibility, with Vinicius set to take the next one after Mbappe in their last match against Real Sociedad.
Los Blancos have scored four of their last five goals from penalties, showcasing their proficiency in converting them.
On the other hand, Stuttgart has conceded seven goals in three Bundesliga games, making them vulnerable to players like Vinicius to capitalize on the opportunities.