VfB Stuttgart Beat Slovan Bratislava 3-0 in Champions League
“Fühlt sich gut an, aber im Endeffekt ist es wichtig, dass wir gewonnen haben,” VfB Stuttgart captain Deniz Undav said after breaking his scoring drought to help secure a 3:0 victory against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.
Heading into the mid-October European calendar, the German Bundesliga side played through difficult pitch conditions at the National Stadium in Bratislava to claim their second victory in two matches of the league phase. Undav opened the scoring in the 29th minute, capitalizing on a feed from Angelo Stiller to fire a low shot into the far corner for his first competitive goal of the season. The strike was slightly deflected past Slovan goalkeeper Dominik Takac, relieving pressure on the 30-year-old forward after an eight-game scoreless run across all competitions.
Sebastian Hoeneß Makes Five Changes to Starting Lineup
Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß made five changes to his starting lineup following a 2:0 domestic win against SC Paderborn. Goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow, Finn Jeltsch, Grischa Prömel, Bilal El Khannouss, and Dzenan Pejcinovic entered the XI, while Dennis Seimen, Atakan Karazor, Jamie Leweling, and Ermedin Demirovic moved to the bench. Maximilian Mittelstädt missed the fixture entirely due to a heel laceration sustained in Paderborn. Hoeneß opted to rest goalkeeper Seimen after his recent return from a long injury layoff, telling DAZN that Seimen would return between the posts against Hamburg.
Stuttgart controlled large stretches of the opening 45 minutes but failed to turn their possession into a wider margin. El Khannouss, Chris Führich, Ramon Hendriks, and Josha Vagnoman all squandered opportunities on the rough turf. Vagnoman came closest to a spectacular second goal when his 18-yard volley rattled off the crossbar. Despite the pressure from the visitors, Slovan Bratislava — coached by former Champions League winner Yaya Touré — offered minimal threat to Bredlow.
VAR Review Overturns Slovan Bratislava Equalizer
The hosts thought they had leveled the match shortly after halftime when Suleiman Camara raced clear following a long goal kick by Takac and beat Bredlow. However, a lengthy VAR review overturned the equalizer. The video review determined that Slovan captain Andraz Sporar made the faintest of touches before Camara received the ball, ruling the striker offside in a decision that remained difficult to discern even on television replay.
Stuttgart survived another scare moments later when Sandro Cruz hammered a long-range effort against the Stuttgarter crossbar. Any hopes of a Bratislava comeback evaporated in the 65th minute. Vagnoman drove a dangerous cross into the penalty area, and Cruz inadvertently redirected the ball through Takac’s legs and into his own net for an own goal.
The visitors added a third goal in the 90th minute when substitute Lorenz Assignon delivered a cross for Ermedin Demirovic, who headed home to seal the 3:0 result. The win follows Stuttgart’s 3:1 opening-phase victory over Viking Stavanger. In the closing stages, Hoeneß introduced 20-year-old local product Leo Sauer, a signing who spent several years in the Slovan youth academy, though the young player had little time to impact the match.
Post-Match Reactions on European Progress
“In all Belangen haben wir alles zum größten Teil super gemacht und die Null steht. Drei Tore gemacht, besser geht nicht,” defender Josha Vagnoman told DAZN regarding the defensive and offensive execution on the night. Teammate Grischa Prömel echoed that sentiment, noting that two wins from two games in the Champions League is something good.