Home edge is clear in the venue split
After seven league matches, Leverkusen are fourth on 13 points (4-1-2; 16-12), while Stuttgart are 15th on six (2-0-5; 10-13). The standings are a dated snapshot, but they set the broader context.
Leverkusen are 3-0-0 at home from n=3, with an 8-1 goal balance. Away, they are 1-1-2 from n=4 (8-11). Stuttgart are 1-0-3 away from n=4 (4-8), compared with 1-0-2 at home from n=3 (6-5). BayArena is therefore the clearest descriptive separation, not proof that venue alone caused the results.
| Team | Sample | Matches | W-D-L | GF-GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen | Overall | 7 | 4-1-2 | 16-12 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | Home | 3 | 3-0-0 | 8-1 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | Away | 4 | 1-1-2 | 8-11 |
| VfB Stuttgart | Overall | 7 | 2-0-5 | 10-13 |
| VfB Stuttgart | Home | 3 | 1-0-2 | 6-5 |
| VfB Stuttgart | Away | 4 | 1-0-3 | 4-8 |
Recent form and shooting complicate the picture
Recent opponents tell a mixed story
Leverkusen's last five completed league results, newest first, are 0-3 at 1899 Hoffenheim, 2-1 at home to SC Freiburg, 4-3 at FSV Mainz 05, 2-0 at home to RB Leipzig and 2-2 at FC Augsburg: 3-1-1, with 10 goals for and 9 against. Stuttgart's are 2-3 at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach, 0-1 at Hamburger SV, 2-0 at SC Paderborn 07, 0-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund and 1-2 at 1899 Hoffenheim: 1-0-4, with 5 for and 7 against. The opponent and venue mixes differ, so these are not strength-adjusted form lines.
Shot volume does not settle dominance
Across n=7, Leverkusen have 127 shots, 38 shots on goal, 47 corners and 57.9% mean possession; Stuttgart have 118, 40, 46 and 56.7%. Leverkusen therefore have nine more attempts, but Stuttgart have two more on goal. No comparable expected-goals figures are available, and shots do not measure chance quality; the numbers cannot establish which side created better chances.
Last-five goals show the recent gap
The following grouped comparison uses the last five completed domestic league matches for each team, all before 02:00 UTC on 31 October 2026. It records goals rather than chance quality.
| Team | Goals scored | Goals conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen | 10 | 9 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 5 | 7 |
Leverkusen's 10-9 total sits alongside their 3-1-1 record; Stuttgart's 5-7 aligns with 1-0-4. The chart summarizes outcomes without adjusting for opponents or venue.
Cup turnaround and availability add uncertainty
Kickoff intervals after the latest matches
On 28 October, Leverkusen came from 0-2 down to beat 1. FC Nürnberg 5-2; Bayer's official cup report records two Tapsoba goals, Diaby going off injured and Facundo Medina starting. Stuttgart's latest all-competitions result was a 1-0 win at SC Paderborn 07. The latest kickoffs were 19:45 for Leverkusen and 17:00 for Stuttgart, leaving 66.75 and 69.5 hours respectively until 14:30 on 31 October. These are kickoff-to-kickoff scheduling intervals, not exact recovery hours.
At Bayer's 30 October press conference, current coach Carles Martínez emphasized recovery after the cup tie and the club listed a 15:30 CET kickoff at BayArena; the briefing did not provide a complete confirmed matchday injury list. At VfB's 30 October press conference, Sebastian Hoeneß described this as Stuttgart's seventh competitive game in three weeks and said Vagnoman (thigh), Stiller (adductor) and Leo Sauer (glute) were absent.
Reported absences and observed recruitment
A 30 October BILD report listed Diaby, Badé, Doué, Kofane, Ben Seghir and Eichhorn among reported Bayer absences; it is a secondary report, not an official matchday squad. Final squads and starting lineups were unavailable at the cutoff.
The cup start is one observed integration point: an official Ligue 1 preview records Facundo Medina's move from Marseille to Leverkusen, but that start is not a season-minutes measure. The VfB transfer announcement records Grischa Prömel's move from Hoffenheim on a contract until June 2029; exhaustive current minutes are unavailable, so no quantified impact is assigned.
Frequently asked questions
What is Leverkusen's home league record?
Three wins, no draws and no losses from n=3, with 8 goals scored and 1 conceded.
What is Stuttgart's away league record?
One win, no draws and three losses from n=4, with 4 goals scored and 8 conceded.
Do the shooting figures establish Leverkusen dominance?
No. Leverkusen lead total shots 127-118, but Stuttgart lead shots on goal 40-38 across n=7. No comparable expected-goals figures are available.
What availability is confirmed?
The VfB briefing identifies Vagnoman, Stiller and Leo Sauer as absent. Bayer has no complete confirmed matchday list at the cutoff; the reported Bayer absences remain secondary, and final squads were unavailable.
How should the turnaround be read?
The latest kickoff-to-kickoff intervals are 66.75 hours for Leverkusen and 69.5 for Stuttgart. They describe scheduling gaps, not exact recovery hours.
Method and coverage
The comparison covers 2026/27 Bundesliga results through 02:00 UTC on 31 October 2026. Overall, venue and shooting data use n=7; the chart uses n=5 completed domestic league matches, while home and away records retain their n=3 or n=4 denominators. Possession is a seven-match mean. Head-to-head results are omitted because the current venue, form and shooting evidence is more relevant here.
Limitations
These figures describe associations, not causes: a 3-0-0 home record does not prove BayArena produced the wins, just as a 1-0-3 away record does not prove venue caused losses. Opponents are not strength-adjusted, and standings are dated. Shots, shots on goal, possession and corners do not measure chance quality, and no comparable expected-goals data is present. Cup starts show involvement, not league availability; recruit minutes and injury return dates are not quantified. Final squads and lineups were unavailable, and the BILD list remains secondary.