Everton Face Tough Challenge Against Stuttgart in MHPArena

Everton close out their two-game swing through Germany on Saturday, and the level jumps sharply. Hamburg was a useful workout. Stuttgart is a statement fixture.

David Moyes takes his squad to the MHPArena to face a Vfb Stuttgart side fresh from a superb Bundesliga season, one that ended with fourth place, a Champions League ticket and another run to the DFB-Pokal final. This is no gentle pre-season sparring partner. This is the kind of opponent that exposes flaws and sharpens edges with the Premier League less than two weeks away.

Everton arrive with momentum.

They edged Hamburg 2-1 in midweek, needing stoppage time and a slice of fortune to get it done. A late own goal from Jordan Torunarigha sealed the win, but the real story came earlier: Merlin Röhl, back on home soil, strode into the game and opened the scoring, a neat reminder of why Moyes has leaned on him so heavily this summer. It was Everton’s fourth outing of a packed pre-season, another 90 minutes in the legs, another glimpse of the shape Moyes wants.

Now comes the real examination.

Stuttgart raise the bar

Stuttgart are not easing into their own campaign. Sebastian Hoeneß has built a side that plays with pace, confidence and purpose, and last season’s surge into the Bundesliga’s top four was no accident. They press high, break quickly and punish lapses. For an Everton team still bedding in new ideas and new faces, this is precisely the sort of contest Moyes will welcome – and quietly fear – at this stage.

The setting helps. A proper arena, a proper crowd, a proper opponent. Friendly in name, competitive in everything else.

New faces and late arrivals

One new signing will not be involved. Christian Norgaard, brought in from Arsenal for £7m earlier this week, will sit this one out. The Danish midfielder is due to link up with the squad only after they return to Merseyside, with his fitness work scheduled at Finch Farm. Moyes will want him up to speed quickly, with a potential debut pencilled in for next Wednesday’s pre-season clash against Newcastle United at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

The midfield picture around him is already intriguing. Röhl is staking an early claim. Tim Ireogbunam and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are expected to anchor the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1, offering legs and bite in front of a familiar back four. The chemistry between that trio will be one of the subplots in Stuttgart.

There is better news out wide and up front.

Iliman Ndiaye and Nathan Patterson have rejoined the group after extended breaks following their 2026 World Cup campaigns. Both now look set for their first pre-season minutes. For Ndiaye, that likely means a role in the front three, drifting between the lines and stretching Stuttgart’s back line. For Patterson, it is about rhythm, recovery runs and the kind of aggressive overlapping that has become his trademark.

Jordan Pickford, by contrast, will not be seen in Germany. England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals has delayed his return, and he is scheduled to rejoin the squad once they are back home. It hands Mark Travers another chance to impress in goal and build understanding with James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite, the central pairing that should anchor Everton again.

James Garner remains sidelined with a groin problem, a small but nagging concern as the clock ticks towards the opening league fixture.

How Everton are likely to line up

Moyes has leaned on a 4-2-3-1 shape across pre-season, and there is little reason to deviate now. The predicted XI carries a clear message: this is getting close to the real thing.

Everton predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Travers; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Röhl, Ireogbunam, Dewsbury-Hall; Dibling, Barry, Ndiaye.

The back four feels settled. O’Brien and Mykolenko will be asked to balance defensive discipline with the occasional surge forward, especially against Stuttgart’s wide threats. Ahead of them, Röhl’s energy and timing from midfield could again be decisive, while Sam Dibling and Louie Barry offer width and direct running either side of Ndiaye.

It is a side that blends youth and experience, experimentation and continuity. It is also a side that will be judged less on the scoreline and more on how it copes when Stuttgart turn up the heat.

Kick-off, venue and how to watch

Kick-off is at 4:00 pm BST on Saturday 8th August at the MHPArena in Stuttgart, Germany.

Supporters can watch the game live via evertontv, with one-time match passes available on a per-fixture basis. Those not tuning in to the stream will track every moment and reaction as it unfolds on the ToffeeWeb Live Forum.

Pre-season often drifts by in a blur of training drills and half-paced friendlies. This one should feel different. Against Champions League opposition, in a hostile arena, Everton will discover how ready they really are for the grind that awaits.