Jamie Leweling put Stuttgart ahead at the MHP Arena and Julián Álvarez levelled for Atlético Madrid soon after half-time. Morten Hjulmand’s red card left Diego Simeone’s side with ten men, but Stuttgart could not find a winner and the Champions League tie finished 1-1.
Stuttgart, Germany: For 45 minutes, the MHP Arena looked like the setting for an upset. Stuttgart pressed Atlético into mistakes, scored from one of them and walked off at the break with a lead and the better of the chances. By full time, the home side had to settle for a point against opponents who spent the closing stages a man short.
Stiller’s steal, Leweling’s finish
Stuttgart made three changes from their previous European outing, with Maximilian Mittelstädt, Grischa Prömel and Chris Führich coming in for Finn Jeltsch, Atakan Karazor and Ermedin Demirović, and the intensity showed. The breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute. Marc Pubill lost the ball near his own box under pressure from Angelo Stiller, and the ball ran to Leweling, who finished low into the bottom corner.
Atlético had started with Alejandro Grimaldo, Álex Baena, Marcos Llorente and Álvarez in the XI, yet it was Stuttgart who dominated the half and deserved the lead at the interval.
Álvarez answers within two minutes of the restart
Simeone reacted at the interval, replacing Jonathan David with Ademola Lookman. The change worked almost at once. Shortly after the restart, Lookman crossed low from the left and Álvarez turned it into the equaliser to make it 1-1. Stuttgart were forced into a change soon after, with Josha Vagnoman replaced by Lorenz Assignon.
Hjulmand sent off
The match turned again just after the hour. Hjulmand went in on Stiller with a high, open-soled challenge in midfield, and the referee showed a straight red card. Atlético were down to ten with roughly half an hour to play.
Stuttgart push, Atlético hold
The extra man handed Stuttgart the initiative, and they pressed for a winner for the rest of the night. What they lacked was a second goal. Atlético defended in numbers and held on, and Dženan Pejčinović, on as a substitute, could only head wide in stoppage time.
What the point means
Stuttgart now have seven points from three games, having beaten Viking and Slovan Bratislava before this draw, and remain unbeaten in the league phase. Atlético have four. They lost their opener at Liverpool, then beat Manchester United 2-0 in Madrid a week earlier, and Tuesday’s result keeps them unbeaten in their last two. The draw was the third round of the 36-team league phase mapped out by the August draw.
Result: VfB Stuttgart 1, Atlético Madrid 1 (half-time 1-0), UEFA Champions League 2026-27, league phase, matchday 3, MHP Arena, Stuttgart, Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
Scorers: Leweling (36′) for Stuttgart; Álvarez (47′) for Atlético.
Dismissal: Morten Hjulmand (Atlético Madrid), 64′.
