VfB Stuttgart will look to recover from their heavy opening-day defeat by Bayern Munich when they host 1. FC Koln in the second round of the Bundesliga on Friday, 4 September 2026.
The match will be played at MHPArena, with Stuttgart aiming to use home advantage to secure a narrow victory and make amends for their 5-1 loss in Munich. That result left them bottom of the table after the opening round.
Stuttgart have the stronger record in this fixture. Across 28 previous meetings, they have won 14 times, a 50% success rate, while seven matches have ended in draws and 1. FC Koln have claimed seven victories, representing 25% of the encounters.
The most recent meeting took place on 14 February 2026, when Stuttgart won 3-1. Stuttgart have also avoided defeat in their past five matches against 1. FC Koln.
The hosts will need a significant improvement after scoring only once in the first round. Their opponents, by contrast, began the campaign with a 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim and sit sixth in the early Bundesliga standings.
1. FC Koln have won their past three matches and continue to pose a threat in front of goal. Their ability to score regularly was again evident across their last four completed matches. Although the visitors are not considered to have the strongest chance of winning at MHPArena, their recent attacking form could make the contest competitive.
The head-to-head figures provide Stuttgart with a clear statistical advantage, while the home side’s position gives them another reason for confidence. However, Koln’s positive start and current winning run mean Stuttgart are unlikely to have everything their own way.
Stuttgart’s priority will be to control the game more effectively than they did against Bayern Munich and turn the support of their home crowd into three points. A victory by the smallest of margins would allow them to respond immediately to their opening-day setback.
The predicted final score is VfB Stuttgart 2-1 1. FC Koln.
