Atletico Madrid Face Stuttgart With Lee Kang-in in Starting XI

Atletico Madrid travel to Germany to face VfB Stuttgart in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 20, with Lee Kang-in expected to start alongside Julian Alvarez as Diego Simeone's side seek another victory in the league phase. The match at the MHP Arena presents Stuttgart with an opportunity to extend their perfect European record and Atletico with a chance to recover from their opening defeat. According to Spanish media coverage cited by Star News Korea, Lee is projected to make his third consecutive start across recent matches.

Atletico will be without captain Koke and defender Cristian Romero, both absent because of injuries, while Johnny Cardoso has returned to the traveling squad after recovering from gastroenteritis. Stuttgart have won both of their Champions League matches, defeating Viking FK 3-1 and Slovan Bratislava 3-0. Atletico lost 2-1 away to Liverpool before beating Manchester United 2-0, leaving both teams with contrasting results at the start of the competition.

Atletico arrive on a six-game winning streak in all competitions, according to The False 9, and sit second in La Liga with 22 points from 27 available, five points behind Barcelona. Stuttgart, meanwhile, have struggled domestically, collecting six points from their opening six Bundesliga matches despite their strong European performances.

Lee has featured in both of Atletico's Champions League fixtures and recently started against Manchester United and in the team's La Liga campaign. Star News Korea reported that he was substituted after 61 minutes against Manchester United and after 62 minutes in the subsequent league match, while Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo predicted another starting appearance against Stuttgart. Mundo Deportivo forecast Julian Alvarez leading the attack alongside Lee, with Alexander Sørloth and Ademola Lookman available as potential second-half options. The predicted lineup reflects Simeone's need to adjust his forward line while managing the absence of key players.

Romero's injury is a particular concern for Atletico's defense. According to Into the Calderon, the defender requested a substitution during the 1-0 victory over Espanyol, and subsequent examinations identified a minor adductor strain that would rule him out of the Stuttgart match and the following weekend's home fixture against Deportivo A Coruña. Koke remains unavailable while recovering from a left hamstring strain. The Atletico captain also suffered the death of his mother the previous Tuesday, according to Into the Calderon, and his return date remains uncertain.

Cardoso's return provides another midfield option after he missed the Espanyol game because of gastroenteritis. The False 9 projected a 4-4-2 formation featuring Jan Oblak in goal, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, David Hancko and Alejandro Grimaldo in defense, Giuliano Simeone, Pablo Barrios, Cardoso and Alex Baena in midfield, with Lee and Alvarez up front. Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness expects a demanding test against the Spanish side.

Speaking before the match, he praised Atletico's quality and explained why his team had anticipated the fixture. "Atletico are one of European football's very best sides. It's because of games like these that we've been looking forward to the Champions League so much.

They're an exciting team with exceptionally talented individual players. We want to see how we measure up against Atletico, even though we're fully aware that they're in really good form at the moment." Hoeness said.

Hoeness also stressed the importance of maintaining defensive structure while pressing effectively and moving the ball quickly. Stuttgart's attacking threat is led by Ermedin Demirovic, who scored a hat trick against Viking FK before adding another goal against Slovan Bratislava, bringing his Champions League tally to four.

"The key will be finding the right balance between intensity and composure. We need good structure, good balance, and we need to be particularly alert when our opponents transition from defence to attack." Hoeness said.

The Stuttgart manager described his team's two victories as an opportunity to strengthen their position in the competition. He emphasized that the players needed to remain motivated while recognizing the value of every point. "We've put ourselves in a good position with our two wins - and therefore have a huge opportunity.

Every point is a bonus. That should make us even more motivated to get a positive result." Hoeness said.

The meeting marks the clubs' first competitive encounter. According to The False 9, Stuttgart have recorded two draws and five defeats in seven previous European matches against Spanish opposition, while Atletico have historically struggled on German soil, losing eight of 10 away matches there under Simeone.

Stuttgart's available options have improved with Maximilian Mittelstädt returning to training after a heel injury, although Dan-Axel Zagadou, Tiago Tomas and Justin Diehl remain sidelined, according to The False 9. Ameen Al-Dakhil also remains unavailable with a knee injury, while Stuttgart are expected to rely on Deniz Undav and Demirovic to lead their attack.