VfB Stuttgart vs 1. FC Köln Result

VfB Stuttgart welcome 1. FC Köln to the Bundesliga on Friday 4 September 2026, kicking off at 19:30 BST.

• Fixture: VfB Stuttgart v 1. FC Köln
• Competition: Bundesliga
• Date: Friday, 4 September 2026
• Kick-off: 19:30 BST

What time is kick-off for VfB Stuttgart vs 1. FC Köln?

Kick-off is at 19:30 BST on Friday 4 September 2026, as both clubs open the new Bundesliga weekend a day early. Full details, including how to make a call on the match, are on the VfB Stuttgart vs 1. FC Köln match page.

Recent form

Köln's competitive form reads better on paper. They beat TSG Hoffenheim 3-2 in their Bundesliga opener on 29 August, and went to FC Würzburger Kickers and won 2-1 in the DFB Pokal five days before that. Their pre-season form was solid too: a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad and a 2-2 draw with Hertha BSC.

Stuttgart's Bundesliga season has started badly. They were beaten 5-1 away at FC Bayern München on 28 August, their only league match so far. There was a much better night in the cup, a 4-0 win at FC Hansa Rostock, and their friendlies swung between one-sided wins over lower-league sides (an 8-1 rout of Kickers Offenbach, a 5-0 win over FSV Hollenbach) and defeats to stronger opposition, including a 1-0 loss to Fulham. They also lost 3-0 to Bayern in the DFB Pokal back in May.

Team news

Stuttgart have Tiago Tomás back in the squad after a muscle injury kept him out for all of 2026 so far. Dan-Axel Zagadou, Lazar Jovanovic and Nikolas Nartey remain unavailable, and Angelo Stiller is a doubt with a cold. Jeff Chabot is expected to start against his former club.

Köln will be without Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Linton Maina, Alessio Castro-Montes, Timo Hübers and Luca Kilian through injury. Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson is a doubt with illness, while Dominique Heintz is back in the squad.

VfB Stuttgart vs 1. FC Köln prediction

1. FC Köln edge VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga at the MHPArena on Friday 4 September 2026. Köln arrive on the back of a league win over TSG Hoffenheim and a cup win on the road, while Stuttgart are still without a Bundesliga win this season after being beaten 5-1 by Bayern. With Stuttgart missing three defenders to injury, Köln's better recent output is enough to swing it.

Our prediction: VfB Stuttgart 1-2 1. FC Köln

Make your prediction

You don't need to back anything to have a stake in how this one goes. Head to the VfB Stuttgart vs 1. FC Köln match page and enter your own scoreline for free. If you're new to the game, how to play explains the rules, and the leaderboard shows where your calls could take you this week.