VfB Stuttgart begin the new Bundesliga season in the relegation zone after a chastening 5-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on the opening night, a result that exposed familiar defensive fragility and set a difficult tone for the weeks ahead. The scale of the loss was stark: captain Deniz Undav admitted after the final whistle that only a superb performance from goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow prevented the scoreline from reaching eight or nine. Josha Vagnoman scored Stuttgart's only goal before turning the ball into his own net minutes later, and trainer Sebastian Hoeneß acknowledged his side must improve, even as he framed Bayern away as a bonus fixture rather than a benchmark.

The defeat landed amid a turbulent end to the transfer window. Stuttgart confirmed the sale of midfielder Chema Andres to Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee reported at up to €23 million, a significant profit on the €3 million paid to Real Madrid just one year ago. Teenager Mirza Catovic also left on loan to Barcelona's second team. On the other side of the ledger, Bilal El Khannouss stayed after a move to Newcastle United collapsed, though his situation remains uneasy. The Moroccan has started both competitive matches so far from the bench, with Tiago Tomas preferred by Hoeneß, and his dissatisfaction with his role has been well documented.

The injury list adds further pressure. Stuttgart were already without several key players at Bayern, including Nikolas Nartey, Lorenz Assignon and Dennis Seimen, and that squad depth will be tested across a season that also includes Champions League group-stage football against Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Galatasaray. A home match against FC Koeln on September 4 offers the first chance to respond.