The VfB Stuttgart is ready for the Champions League match against Real Madrid. The Swabians won the Bundesliga match against Borussia Mönchengladbach with a solid 3:1.
On the 4th matchday of the Bundesliga, in front of about 54,000 spectators at Borussia-Park, Deniz Undav (21st minute) and newcomer Ermedin Demirović (58th/62nd) scored the goals for the visitors from Swabia, while Alassane Pléa (27th) equalized temporarily on the 80th birthday of club legend Günter Netzer.
For the team of coach Sebastian Hoeneß, it was the first victory of the season. In the table, VfB improved to ninth place, while Gladbach slipped down to eleventh. This made VfB a successful dress rehearsal before the Champions League match against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Stuttgart’s Hoeneß: “Second half was clearly ours”
“The joy is great, even if I can’t express it that well at the moment. I am looking forward to the game at a club that is just a myth,” said Stuttgart’s coach Hoeneß before the match against Real Madrid at the press conference. Regarding the match, he told the Sportschau microphone: “The second half was clearly ours. That’s why we left as deserved winners.”
“We played very well in the first half but then had to cope with setbacks with the 2:1 and the 3:1. Stuttgart played it down very well,” said Gladbach’s coach Seoane: “We have shown two good home games. It annoys us, of course, that we had one or two more mistakes.”
Stuttgart’s Undav scores after Omlin’s mistake
Gladbach had the first chance of the game. Just five minutes in, Tim Kleindienst forced goalkeeper Alexander Nübel to make a dive with a shot. A few minutes later, Deniz Undav failed to score against keeper Jonas Omlin after a mistake in Gladbach’s buildup.
In the 21st minute, Undav made it better. A shot from Jamie Leweling from 17 meters could only be parried by Omlin, and Undav was there to tap it in. Josha Vagnoman had initiated the attack down the right side.
Borussia’s Pléa scores and has to leave injured
Gladbach remained unfazed. Initially, Nübel was able to save against Tim Kleindienst and Alassane Pléa before he was finally beaten. The ball found its way to Pléa via Kleindienst and Kevin Stöger, and he was on target with a header.
Bitter for Pléa: The Frenchman got injured and had to be substituted. Nathan N’Goumou came on for him.
Rieder and Demirović harmonize wonderfully at VfB
At the beginning of the second half, the Stuttgarters emerged. Luca Netz was outdone by Fabian Rieder on the baseline, whose pass to the near post was tapped in by Ermedin Demirović.
Shortly after, it was 3:1, and again the duo Rieder and Demirović were responsible. Rieder placed a corner precisely on Demirović’s head, who only had to nod it in. A foul by Jeff Chabot on Joe Scally beforehand was not called by Brych.
No more chances for Gladbach, Stuttgart’s Führich hits the post
Gladbach’s coach Gerado Seoane reacted and brought on Rocco Reitz and Robin Hack, and later also Florian Neuhaus and Tomas Cvancara. They created a significant impact.
However, Gladbach couldn’t create any more chances. On the contrary, in the 81st minute Chris Führich could have extended it to 4:1 during a counter but only hit the post.
Felix Brych is now the record referee
Felix Brych, in his first league comeback after an ACL tear, has become the sole record referee in the Bundesliga with this game. The 49-year-old took to the field at Borussia-Park for the 345th time as an official, surpassing his predecessor Wolfgang Stark (344).
Wolfsburg in Leverkusen, Gladbach in Frankfurt
VfB Stuttgart will face Borussia Dortmund on the next matchday on Sunday (22.09.2024, 5:30 PM), while Eintracht Frankfurt hosts Borussia Mönchengladbach a day earlier in a key match (6:30 PM).