As the Bundesliga resumed after the international break, VfB Stuttgart hosted Borussia Dortmund, aiming to boost their Champions League qualification ambitions.
The initial 45 minutes unfolded largely as anticipated, with Stuttgart asserting dominance. The home side commanded 72% possession, dictating play mostly in Dortmund’s half. However, Sebastian Hoeneß’s squad struggled with finishing, registering only eight shots in the first half, with a mere two hitting the target.
In stark contrast, Dortmund’s offensive presence was almost negligible. Their sole attempt on target came from a Waldemar Anton header, which VfB goalkeeper Alexander Nübel easily collected.
The second half largely mirrored the first, with Dortmund failing to find their rhythm or display any concerted attacking intent. Despite this passive approach, their strategy ultimately paid off.
Remarkably, despite managing only three shots on target throughout the entire match, Dortmund capitalized on two of them in the closing stages. In the 94th minute, Karim Adeyemi broke the deadlock completely against the flow of play. Just two minutes later, Julian Brandt doubled their lead to make it 2-0. This came from a counter-attack led by Fabio Silva as Stuttgart desperately pressed for an equalizer, with Silva delivering a cross that Brandt expertly volleyed home.
The victory was undoubtedly undeserved, epitomizing a classic ‘smash-and-grab’ performance. Nonetheless, it has provided Dortmund with a significant advantage over Stuttgart in the race for second place in the league.
VfB Stuttgart Player Ratings:
- Alexander Nübel: 5
- Finn Jeltsch: 5
- Jeff Chabot: 5
- Ramon Hendriks: 5
- Lorenz Assignon: 6
- Atakan Karazor: 5
- Angelo Stiller: 7
- Maximilian Mittelstädt: 6
- Nikolas Nartey: 6
- Chris Führich: 6
- Deniz Undav: 5
Substitutes:
- Jamie Leweling: 5
- Bilal El Khannouss: 5
- Tiago Tomas: 5
Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings:
- Gregor Kobel: 6
- Waldemar Anton: 5
- Nico Schlotterbeck: 5
- Ramy Bensebaini: 5
- Julian Ryerson: 5
- Marcel Sabitzer: 5
- Jobe Bellingham: 5
- Daniel Svensson: 5
- Maximilian Beier: 5
- Carney Chukwuemeka: 5
- Serhou Guirassy: 4
Substitutes:
- Karim Adeyemi: 6
- Fabio Silva: 5
- Julian Brandt: 6
Man of the Match: Angelo Stiller (7)
Choosing a Man of the Match from this encounter proved challenging due to the overall performances. However, Angelo Stiller stood out, particularly in the first half, where he was a constant threat to Dortmund and exhibited excellent control in midfield. He notably created two chances, delivered 16 passes into the final third, and won 71% of his duels.
