Wolfsburg had an almost identical lineup as in the trophy campaign, with Karim Ziani the only newcomer fielded by coach Armin Veh.

Veh led Stuttgart to the 2007 title before being fired last November after a 4-1 hammering in Wolfsburg. He took over again July 1 for Felix Magath, who moved on to Schalke 04.

Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel played both new prominent hirings Alexandr Hleb and Pavel Pogrebnyak, with the ex-Zenit St Petersburg striker Pogrebnyak coming close with a header as Stuttgart dominated early in the game.