VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Atlético Madrid: Julián Álvarez's equaliser survives a red card to Morten Hjulmand
Jamie Leweling's 36th-minute strike had Stuttgart ahead and still unbeaten in the Champions League, but Julián Álvarez levelled two minutes into the second half, and Atlético held on for a point even after Morten Hjulmand was sent off in the 64th minute.
VfB Stuttgart's perfect start to this season's Champions League league phase ended at two wins and a draw, held 1-1 at home by Atlético Madrid in a match that turned on a Julián Álvarez equaliser two minutes into the second half and a red card that left the visitors playing the final 26 minutes with ten men.
Jamie Leweling put Stuttgart ahead in the 36th minute without an assist, and the hosts took that lead into the break. Álvarez levelled almost immediately after the restart, in the 47th minute, finishing a pass from Ademola Lookman — introduced from the bench at half-time. Atlético then had to see out the rest of the match a man light after Morten Hjulmand was sent off in the 64th minute, with Maximilian Mittelstädt the only other player booked, in the 17th minute for Stuttgart.
A first dropped points for Stuttgart in Europe
Stuttgart had won both of their opening Champions League matches — 3-1 over Viking on matchday 1 and 3-0 away at Slovan Bratislava on matchday 2 — in what is the club's first-ever campaign in the competition proper. That perfect start now becomes two wins and a draw, still an excellent return from three matches for a side that, by contrast, sits only 13th in the Bundesliga on 6 points from six games, with two wins and four losses domestically. The gap between Stuttgart's European form and their domestic form remains as wide as it was before this game, even with a dropped point here.
Atlético fight back, then fight to hold on
Atlético Madrid came into this match on a five-match winning run in La Liga, sitting 2nd in that table on 22 points from nine games, but a mixed Champions League campaign so far: a 1-2 defeat away at Liverpool on matchday 1 followed by a 2-0 win at home to Manchester United on matchday 2. Coming from behind away from home, and then protecting a point for more than 25 minutes with ten men after Hjulmand's sending-off, is the kind of result that will matter more in February than it looks on the morning after — a point salvaged on the road against a side unbeaten in the competition so far this season.
Match stats
| Stat | VfB Stuttgart | Atlético Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 54.1% | 45.9% |
| Shots on target | 5 | 3 |
| Corners | 9 | 4 |
| Fouls | 15 | 7 |
| Offsides | 2 | 0 |
| Accurate passes | 457/512 (89%) | 379/458 (83%) |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
Match facts
- 36' — Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart)
- 47' — Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid), assist Ademola Lookman
- 64' — Morten Hjulmand (Atlético Madrid), red card
- MHPArena, Stuttgart — Champions League league phase, matchday 3, Tuesday 20 October 2026
What's next
Stuttgart stay unbeaten through three Champions League matchdays and well placed in the 36-club table, with their Bundesliga form the far bigger concern heading into the next international break. Atlético take a point from a trip that could have gone worse once they went down to ten men, and continue a domestic run that has them firmly in the La Liga title conversation alongside their European campaign.
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