Champions League | League Stage

Nov 27, 2024 at 5.45pm UK

Stadion Rajko Mitic

Red Starvs.Stuttgart

Match preview

Red Star are one of five clubs yet to pick up a point in this season's Champions League. They've already lost twice in Belgrade – to Benfica and Barcelona – while suffering four-goal defeats away to Inter Milan and Monaco.

Earlier this month, the Serbian champions were doing well at half time against Barca. However, Robert Lewandowski scored the first goal of a brace on 43 minutes, and they ultimately lost 5-2 to their Catalan counterparts.

They've conceded 16 goals this term, which is the worst record in the league. With a goal difference of minus 12, it's clear that Crvena Zvezda have struggled to cope with Europe's elite since coming through qualifying.

Two losses have knocked a few spots off a pretty impressive home record—just six defeats in their last 23 continental contests at the Marakana. But Red Star are still untouchable on the domestic front.

The 1991 European champions won their seventh successive league title last season, and they've won 13 of their 14 league games this season so far, scoring 44 goals and conceding only eight.

In his second spell at the club, head coach Vladan Milojevic has helped his side stay undefeated throughout their last 36 domestic matches, of which they have won 33. However, they haven't been able to translate that form onto the main stage yet.

Stuttgart were last crowned German champions back in 2007, but they'll head into their first-ever game against Red Star having recently re-established themselves among the Bundesliga's elite.

This is the first time in 11 years that they've taken part in a UEFA competition. An ambitious squad led by the well-regarded coach Sebastian Hoeness managed to get second place ahead of Bayern Munich last season. They're now aiming for another top-four finish.

However, the Swabians are just outside the Champions League playoff places going into the second half of their comeback campaign, after losing their last fixture 2-0 at home to Atalanta BC.

Stuttgart have picked up four points from their first two games, with a 1-1 draw against Sparta Prague and a 1-0 win over Juventus. They've scored just three goals so far, including one in their opening match against Real Madrid, which ended in defeat at the Bernabeu.

After beating Juve in Turin, they're now aiming to record consecutive away wins for the first time in either the European Cup or the Champions League. They'll wrap up the league phase with games against Young Boys, Slovan Bratislava and Paris Saint-Germain.

Saturday's 2-0 win against Bochum leaves Die Roten just outside the European places in a tight Bundesliga table. To extend this year's Champions League adventure, they'll need to collect at least six more points.

Recent Performance

Red Star Belgrade Champions League form:LWLLLL

Red Star Belgrade form (all competitions):LWWWLW

Stuttgart Champions League form:LDWL

Stuttgart form (all competitions):WWDLLW

Team News

Red Star coach Vladan Milojevic has recently welcomed back to training the trio of injured players, Ognjen Mimovic, Bruno Duarte and Mirko Ivanic. It's not yet clear whether they'll be ready for Wednesday.

As Saturday's league game against Jedinstva was postponed due to heavy snowfall, the hosts should be well rested following the international break. However, Peter Olayinka is expected to miss out due to an Achilles problem.

Senegalese striker Cherif Ndiaye is the league's top scorer with nine goals, and he'll be leading the hosts' attack. Winger Felicio Milson has found the net in both of his Champions League appearances this term.

Those goals came as a substitute, as Stuttgart-owned Silas has generally been preferred. The DR Congo forward was voted Bundesliga rookie of the season in 2020-21 after scoring 11 goals in 25 games, but he is now out on loan in Belgrade.

The visitors are also missing a few key players, especially up front. The man who scored the winning goal against Juventus, El Bilal Touré, came back from international duty with a broken foot and has had surgery. Top scorer Deniz Undav will be out of action until 2025 with a hamstring injury.

Ermedin Demirovic has six goals this season and recently scored for Bosnia-Herzegovina in the UEFA Nations League, so he should be able to cover for the latter. French playmaker Enzo Millot – who has created more chances from open play (nine) and completed more dribbles (eight) than any of his teammates in this Champions League campaign – is set to support him.

Jamie Leweling (hamstring), Luca Raimund (muscular) and Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee) are still out, but Leonidas Stergiou made his first appearance of the season on Saturday, having finally recovered from a back injury.

Possible starting lineup

Red Star Belgrade possible starting lineup:

M. Ilic; Young-woo, Spajic, Djiga, Rodic; Krunic, Elsnik; Silas, Maksimovic, L. Ilic; Ndiaye

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:

Nubel; Stergiou, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Rieder, Millot, Fuhrich; Demirovic