Last season's Bundesliga champions and runners-up will clash for the first time this campaign, with Bayer Leverkusen hosting Stuttgart at the BayArena on Friday night.
Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen team currently sits in third place in the Bundesliga standings, trailing league leaders Bayern Munich by five points after a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen last week.
Leverkusen has now dropped points in four league matches this season, recording three draws and one defeat. This is a shift from last season’s form when they dropped points just six times across the entire campaign, managing to stay unbeaten.
In midweek action, Leverkusen progressed to the third round of the DFB-Pokal with a decisive 3-0 victory, where all three goals were netted before the 36th minute, securing their place in the next stage of the competition.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Bayer Leverkusen vs VfB Stuttgart online - TV channels & live streams
The Bundesliga match will be shown live on ESPN+ in the United States. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Bayer Leverkusen vs VfB Stuttgart kick-off time
| Date: | Friday, November 1, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 3:30 pm ET/ 12:30 pm PT |
| Venue: | Bay Arena |
The match will be played at the Bay Arena on Friday, November 1, 2024, with kick-off at 3:30 pm ET/ 12:30 pm PT for fans in the US.
Team news & squads
Bayer Leverkusen team news
The hosts will be without forward Amine Adli, who remains sidelined due to a leg fracture that's likely to keep him off the pitch until next year. Additionally, defender Jeanuel Belocian is ruled out until late November.
Head coach Xabi Alonso may set up a defensive trio of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie to shield goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Up front, Victor Boniface is expected to lead the attack, with Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz providing support in advanced roles.
Bayer Leverkusen possible XI: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Kovar, Hradecky, Lomb |
| Defenders: | Hincapie, Tah, Tapsoba, Stanisic, Grimaldo, Arthur, Mukiele, Frimpong, Fofana, Belocian |
| Midfielders: | Hofmann, Andrich, Terrier, Tella, Garcia, Palacios, Xhaka, Aourir |
| Forwards: | Wirtz, Boniface, Schick |
VfB Stuttgart team news
Stuttgart will also be dealing with several absences, including centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou, who is out until next February, as well as Jeff Chabot, following his red card against Holstein Kiel.
Luca Raimund is not anticipated to make his return until early next month, while Yannik Keitel aims to be fit by the end of November.
Both winger Justin Diehl and right-back Leonidas Stergiou remain doubtful, so Hoeness might select a backline featuring Josha Vagnoman, Arnie Chase, Anthony Rouault, and Maximilian Mittelstadt. Up front, a pairing of El Bilal Toure and Deniz Undav seems probable.
Stuttgart possible XI: Nubel; Vagnoman, Chase, Rouault, Mittelstadt; Millot, Karazor, Stiller, Leweling; Toure, Undav
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Nubel, Bredlow, Seimen, Drljaca |
| Defenders: | Hendriks, Mittelstadt, Vagnoman, Kratzig, Stenzel, Zagadou, Chabot, Rouault, Chase |
| Midfielders: | Keitel, Stiller, Millot, Fuhrich, Rieder |
| Forwards: | Demirovic, Toure, Woltemade, Leweling, Faghir, Kastanaras, Undav, Raimund |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Game | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 08/18/24 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2 (4) - 2 (4) VfB Stuttgart | DFL Supercup |
| 04/27/24 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-2 VfB Stuttgart | Bundesliga |
| 02/07/24 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3-2 VfB Stuttgart | DFB Pokal |
| 12/10/23 | VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Bundesliga |
| 05/14/23 | VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Bundesliga |