Stuttgart will look to recover from their 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich when they host Cologne in the second round of the German championship on Friday, 4 September 2026.
The match will be played at MHPArena, with Stuttgart seeking an immediate response after their heavy opening-day loss left them bottom of the table. They face a Cologne side who began the campaign with a 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim and sit sixth.
Stuttgart’s main advantage is their strong record in this fixture. The two clubs have met 28 times, with Stuttgart winning 14 matches, drawing seven and losing seven. That gives them a 50% win rate in the head-to-head record, while Cologne have won 25% of the meetings.
The most recent encounter, on 14 February 2026, ended in a 3-1 victory for Stuttgart. The hosts are also unbeaten against Cologne in their past five meetings.
Despite that record, Stuttgart’s opening performance highlighted the scale of the improvement required. They scored once against Bayern Munich but conceded five times, leaving them at the foot of the standings after the first round.
Cologne, meanwhile, showed attacking intent in their win over Hoffenheim. Their three goals moved them into sixth place, and they have now won three matches in a row. The visitors may not be considered the favourites to prevail at MHPArena, but they have consistently found the net, doing so in each of their past four completed matches.
The opening round also underlined the contrast between the sides’ starts. Stuttgart scored one goal, compared with three for Cologne, although the home team’s historical advantage and the latest meeting between the clubs offer encouragement ahead of Friday’s game.
Stuttgart’s 14 wins from 28 matches remain the clearest statistical edge. Cologne have seven victories in the fixture, while the remaining seven games have finished level. The hosts will hope home support can help them turn that advantage into three points and make amends for the defeat in Munich.
The prediction is for a close contest rather than another one-sided result. Stuttgart are expected to use their home advantage and claim a narrow win, with the recommended exact score being 2-1.