Bundesliga Dramatic final phase
In the eighth minute of injury time, Stuttgart turned the game around again
Status: 31.03.2024 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Turbulence at the top of the club, fan protests and then a nasty surprise. VfB Stuttgart lost 2-0 in the duel against 1. FC Heidenheim. When stoppage time was almost over, one of Stuttgart’s national players turned things around.
With a last-minute goal, Deniz Undav saved VfB Stuttgart from an unpleasant surprise and saved the third-placed team in the Bundesliga from a draw. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, the striker scored the decisive goal with his 15th goal of the season to give Stuttgart a 3-3 (1-0) win in the Bundesliga state derby against 1. FC Heidenheim. The hosts had previously lost a comfortable 2-0 lead on Easter Sunday. An own goal from VfB goalkeeper Alexander Nübel (62nd minute) and a brace from Tim Kleindienst (84th/85th) had put Stuttgart behind on the way to the Champions League after Serhou Guirassy (41st) and Angelo Stiller (53′) had put the hosts in front. Shortly before Undav’s goal, Heidenheim’s Nikola Dovedan (90+6) had seen red.
For coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s team, the draw was a sporting setback in the midst of turbulence in club politics in front of 60,000 spectators. With the long possible victory, the third-placed team would have moved within one point of FC Bayern Munich. The lead over Bayern’s conqueror Borussia Dortmund also melted to four points. Next Saturday the Stuttgart team will be visiting Westphalia for the top game.
The 1000th Bundesliga game in the Stuttgart Arena, a small part of which was played by the Stuttgarter Kickers, began with a boycott by the VfB fans in the first ten minutes or so. With clouds of black smoke, black clothing and banners with a black background, they expressed their dissatisfaction with the escalated power struggle at the top of the club. “Supervisory Board, Investors, Presidium: Enough!” read one of the banners.
Conflict at VfB Stuttgart is coming to a head
The conflict with President Claus Vogt, who was heavily criticized, came to a head during the international break with further statements and interviews. “We’re trying to keep it away,” VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß said before the game on DAZN about the announced protest: “What shouldn’t happen is that the team suffers from it. We need full support for eight games now and we need rest.”
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The Swabians scored for the first time in the initial phase, which was marked by protests in the Cannstatter Kurve. However, nothing came of the supposed dream start: Guirassy was just offside when Deniz Undav passed the ball (8th). Undav (13th) and Guirassy five minutes later were denied further promising opportunities by Heidenheim’s goalkeeper Kevin Müller. Führich also couldn’t get past the visiting keeper (39′) before the deserved 1-0 was scored before the break: After a combination with Undav and Angelo Stiller, Guirassy slotted home his 23rd Bundesliga goal of the season.
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The hosts dominated the game. But they could also thank goalkeeper Alexander Nübel and his save with his foot against Jan-Niklas Beste, allowing them to go into the dressing room with the lead. Nübel saved against Beste with a foot save. Heidenheim’s left winger was fit again in time after the adductor problems that had forced him to leave the national team.
Even after the break, Stuttgart initially controlled the game. Stiller initiated the second goal himself and then refined his one-two with the assist from Undav. The club also had Nübel to thank for Heidenheim’s approach, as he looked bad after a Beste corner and Tim Kleindienst’s header and appeared unsettled afterwards. Substitute Silas only hit the post for VfB (74′). Then the game tipped over in the final minutes. With the last action of the game, Undav was successful and his equalizer stood up to the video evidence.
