Stuttgart have steadied themselves after a turbulent start to the season. A heavy 1-5 defeat at Bayern Munich on the opening Bundesliga weekend left Sebastian Hoeneß's side under immediate pressure, but the response came quickly. A 4-1 home win over Köln on matchday two restored confidence and lifted the club to ninth in the table, level on three points with the teams around them.

The win carried extra meaning given the noise surrounding the squad. Ermedin Demirovic, who had been the subject of false transfer reports throughout the summer, came off the bench to score the decisive third goal and spoke candidly afterwards about the toll the speculation had taken. His words, and his contribution on the pitch, underlined that the squad has emerged from a chaotic transfer window with its core largely intact.

That window brought significant change regardless. Chema Andres joined Brighton for up to 23 million euros on deadline day, while Badredine Bouanani moved to Rangers on loan. Jamie Leweling, courted by AS Roma and Borussia Dortmund, ultimately stayed, and his presence in a Champions League campaign adds real value to Hoeneß's options.

Attention now turns to Europe. Stuttgart host Viking on Wednesday in their first Champions League group stage fixture, a competition the club qualified for after finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season. OPTA gives them a 52 percent chance of reaching the last 16. The European debut arrives at a moment when momentum, at least domestically, is pointing in the right direction.