Preview: VfB Stuttgart Hosts Young Boys in Europa League Knockout Play

STUTTGART, Germany (Interstat) — VfB Stuttgart will host Switzerland’s Young Boys in the first leg of a Europa League knockout round playoff on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Arena.

The match pairs a Stuttgart side seeking consistency against a Young Boys team desperate to overturn a poor run of continental form away from home.

Stuttgart, the Bundesliga side, enters the fixture following a 2-0 away defeat to AS Roma in its final group stage match on Jan. 22. That result snapped a three-game European winning streak for Die Roten, which had previously posted commanding victories over Maccabi Tel Aviv (4-1), Go Ahead Eagles (4-0) and Feyenoord (2-0). Their home form in the group stage was mixed, with a 2-1 win over Ceuta FC but losses to Basel (2-0) and Fenerbahçe (1-0).

Young Boys arrives after a narrow 1-0 home loss to Olympique Lyonnais on Jan. 22. The Swiss champions’ European campaign has been defined by a stark home-road split. They are perfect at home in the competition this season, with wins over Lille (1-0), FCSB (2-0), Slovan Bratislava (1-0) and Ludogorets (3-2). However, their travels have been disastrous, conceding 12 goals in three heavy defeats: 4-1 at Panathinaikós, 4-0 at PAOK and 2-1 at Aston Villa.

This contrast sets the stage for a tense tactical battle. Stuttgart will look to leverage its home pitch and attacking momentum from the group phase to pressure Young Boys’ shaky away defense. Young Boys will aim to tighten up at the back and potentially steal a crucial away goal to take back to Bern for the second leg.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is VfB Stuttgart 2, Young Boys 1.

Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. local time (2000 GMT).