Confirmed lineups: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Stuttgart

The ninth round of the 2024/25 Bundesliga's campaign kicks off with a tantalizing match-up between defending 2023/24 champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 2023/24 league runners up VfB Stuttgart.

Respective head-coaches Xabi Alonso and Sebastian Hoeneß have submitted their team sheets. A surprise from Xabi sees Nordi Mukiele retain his place in the starting XI. 

In a rematch of this year's DFL Supercup, the top two sides in last year's Bundesliga's table get set to get match-day nine in the 2024/25 German Bundesliga off to a rollocking start. Xabi Alonso's Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Sebastian Hoeneß' VfB Stuttgart square off in this evening's curtain-raiser. Both trainers doubtless selected their squads with great care in what promises to be an interesting tactical affair.

Xabi makes seven changes to the team that rolled over Elversberg in the Pokal on Tuesday. Lukas Hradecky returns to take the place of Matej Kovar in net. Jeremie Frimpong, Alejandro Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz, and Victor Boniface rotate back in over Nathan Tella, Arthur, Jonas Hofmann, and Patrik Schick. Piero Hincapie, and Robert Andrich also take the place of Aleix Garcia and Exequiel Palacios. In all likelihood, Xabi will probably roll out a 4-2-3-1.

Hoeneß employs eight changes to the squad that took out Kaiserslautern. Alexander Nübel is back in goal over Fabian Bredlow. Angelo Stiller returns to take the place of Frans Krätzig in midfield. Regular fullbacks Maximilian Mittelstädt and Josha Vagnoman are back in place of Pascal Stenzel and Ramon Hendriks.

The front four are also refreshed with Enzo Millot, Jamie Leweling, Deniz Undav, and El Bilal Touré starting over Nick Woltemade, Fabian Rieder, Chris Führich, and Ermedin Demirovic. It very much looks to be the case that Hoeneß will stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation.

Leverkusen (4-2-3-1):

Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie, Mukiele - G. Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo - Frimpong, Boniface, Wirtz

Stuttgart (4-2-3-1):

Nübel - Vagnoman, Rouault, Chase, Mittelstädt - Karazor, Stiller - Leweling, Undav, Millot - Touré

Potential B04 formation: 

Potential VfB formation: