Personnel Updates

Felix Nmecha has consistently been a vital player in the midfield but recently missed out due to an injury. Captain Emre Can (suffered a cruciate ligament tear) and Filippo Mane (dealing with a muscle issue) were also unable to participate. BVB made three adjustments to their starting lineup from their previous match against HSV, which ended in a 3-2 victory, prior to the international break: Ramy Bensebaini, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Serhou Guirassy took the places of Luca Reggiani, Felix Nmecha, and Karim Adeyemi.

Match Overview

BVB faced challenges in making significant advances into the opponent’s territory, while VfB quickly made inroads in the penalty area. Goalkeeper Kobel was called into action for the first time after 18 minutes, successfully saving a shot from Stiller. The Black & Yellows found themselves increasingly on the defensive, and every time they gained possession, they quickly surrendered it again. At halftime, VfB had recorded eight shots on goal compared to Borussia’s two, dominating possession with 69%.

The Black & Yellows showed a more determined approach at the start of the second half, managing longer sequences of play for the first time, yet they also allowed Stuttgart another great opportunity as Assignon tested Gregor Kobel in the 55th minute after a short corner. Just past the hour mark, Fabio Silva and Karim Adeyemi entered the field, replacing Guirassy and Chukwuemeka to inject fresh energy into the attack. Nevertheless, Stuttgart maintained control during this stage, leading up to an intense six minutes of stoppage time. In those final moments, BVB ramped up their efforts once again.

In the 94th minute, a precisely placed through ball from the right sideline found Julian Brandt, who was onside. He made a cross into the penalty area, where a defensive header from Chabot landed near Adeyemi, who maneuvered past Karazor and struck the ball into the net, beating Nübel on the near side.

Then, in the 96th minute, substitute Fabio Silva engaged in a fair but vigorous tackle against Jeltsch following a clearance from Marcel Sabitzer. The ball was then sent into the box to Brandt, who unleashed a powerful shot from a tight angle, sending it crisply under the crossbar.

Future Matches

Looking ahead, two more critical matches are on the horizon against direct competitors. The first matchup will be a home game against Bayer Leverkusen this Saturday at 15:30 CEST, followed by an away clash against TSG Hoffenheim the following week.

Lineups

VfB Stuttgart:
Nübel – Jeltsch, Chabot, Hendriks – Assignon (72, Tomas), Karazor (87, Chema), Stiller, Mittelstädt (87, Demirovic) – Nartey (72, El Khannouss), Führich (69, Leweling) – Undav
Substitutes: Bredlow, Al-Dakhil, Vagnoman, Jaquez

BVB:
Kobel – Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Ryerson, Bellingham, Svensson – Sabitzer, Chukwuemeka (63, Adeyemi) – Guirassy (63, Silva), Beier (72, Brandt)
Substitutes: Meyer, Reggiani, Süle, Couto, Özcan, Inacio