VfB Stuttgart find themselves in a difficult position in the Bundesliga, and Friday's 2-3 home defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach only deepened the concern. With just six points from seven league games, the club sit 13th in the table, and the gap between their domestic form and their Champions League performances is becoming harder to ignore.

In Europe, Stuttgart have been a different proposition. A 3-0 win at Slovan Bratislava and a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid have left them with seven points in the Champions League, more than they have managed in the Bundesliga. The contrast tells its own story about a squad that has struggled to convert chances consistently in domestic competition, a problem Sebastian Hoeneß has acknowledged by intensifying training sessions and publicly addressing individual errors in front of the group.

Off the pitch, Sport Bild reports that the club has banned players from arriving at the training ground in private luxury cars, with fines threatened for non-compliance. It is a symbolic move, but one that reflects the seriousness with which the club is treating a slow start to the season.

Captain Deniz Undav, who broke his goal drought in Bratislava and earned recognition as the most dangerous German player in European competition this season according to Opta data cited by GOAL, has yet to register a Bundesliga goal contribution. With a home Bundesliga game already lost and Galatasaray next up in the Champions League, Stuttgart need a response.