VfB Stuttgart have reached the DFB Cup final for the second year in a row after Tiago Tomas scored a dramatic 119th-minute winner to defeat Freiburg 2-1 in extra time at the MHP Arena.
The victory sets up a final clash with Bayern Munich, as Stuttgart look to defend their German Cup title in what would be a repeat of last season’s showdown.
Freiburg took an early lead through Maximilian Eggestein, who converted from close range in the 28th minute after Matthias Ginter headed Vincenzo Grifo’s corner back across goal. The goal came after Freiburg had forced Alexander Nubel into a fine save earlier in the half.
Stuttgart responded strongly before the break, with Ermedin Demirovic, Jamie Leweling and Deniz Undav all going close, but Freiburg held firm to take their advantage into halftime.
The hosts emerged with renewed purpose after the interval and immediately threatened through Chris Fuhrich, whose effort went narrowly wide. Freiburg remained dangerous on the counter, with Johan Manzambi and Igor Matanovic both having attempts blocked.
Stuttgart thought they had equalised shortly after when Angelo Stiller found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Demirovic. The equaliser came just minutes later, although, with Undav steering Bilal El Khannouss’ perfectly weighted through-ball past Florian Mueller and into the far corner with 20 minutes remaining.
Freiburg continued to defend resolutely, repeatedly putting their bodies on the line to preserve Stuttgart at bay. Matanovic’s full-body block stopped an Undav shot just before the break and Freiburg goalkeeper Mueller made several key saves to preserve his side’s lead.
Stuttgart had the ball in the net just after the hour mark when Stiller cut a shot across the face of goal, but the effort was ruled out for offside against Demirovic. The hosts eventually broke through with 20 minutes left in regulation when Undav finished off a length-of-the-field counter to level the scores.
The game went into extra time after Freiburg resisted Stuttgart’s late pressure, with Undav hitting the right post and dragging another effort wide even as Mueller saved from Fuhrich in the final stages of regulation.
Both sides showed caution at the start of extra time, but Stuttgart gradually asserted themselves. Freiburg felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Eggestein broke through and appeared to be tripped, but the midfielder stayed on his feet and managed a shot wide of the target.
Eggestein soon found redemption, giving Freiburg the lead with an instinctive finish after Ginter headed Grifo’s corner toward goal and Eggestein flicked the ball past Nubel with ease. The goal restored Freiburg’s advantage and appeared to put them on course for a second German Cup final.
Stuttgart finally began to assert themselves towards the closing stages of the first half of extra time, but squandered three good chances before the break. Demirovic, Leweling and Undav all failed to convert their efforts as Freiburg held firm.
The hosts emerged for the second half of extra time with renewed purpose and immediately threatened through Fuhrich, who sent his effort narrowly wide. Freiburg remained dangerous on the counter, with Manzambi and Matanovic both having attempts blocked.
Stuttgart thought they had equalised shortly after when Stiller found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Demirovic. VfB did not have to wait long for the equaliser, however, with Undav steering El Khannouss’ perfectly weighted through-ball past Mueller and into the far corner with 20 minutes remaining in the match.
The game appeared headed for a penalty shootout until Tomas produced a moment of individual brilliance. Leaping high, the substitute glanced a clever back-heel into the left-hand corner in the 119th minute to send Stuttgart into raptures and secure their place in the final.
The goal capped a remarkable individual effort from Tomas, who had come off the bench to make an immediate impact. His back-heel finish was described by those at the MHP Arena as “unglaublich” – incredible – as Stuttgart celebrated reaching their second consecutive DFB Cup final.
The victory means Stuttgart will face Bayern Munich in the final, setting up a repeat of last season’s showdown. Stuttgart opened the German football season with a home Supercup clash against the freshly crowned Bundesliga champions and will now meet them once again in the final match of the domestic campaign.
For Freiburg, the defeat ends their hopes of reaching a second German Cup final, but their performance demonstrated the quality that has made them one of the most difficult teams to break down in German football.
The MHP Arena in Stuttgart hosted the semi-final on Thursday evening, with the match kicking off at 20:45 local time (18:45 UTC). Sebastian Hoeness made four changes to his lineup that had suffered a 4-2 defeat at Bayern Munich at the weekend, restoring regular starters Deniz Undav, Ermedin Demirovic, Maximilian Mittelstadt and Nikolas Nartey.
Freiburg also restored many of their regular starters following their victory over Heidenheim at the weekend, with Florian Mueller retaining his place in the Pokal lineup ahead of Noah Atubolu.
The game began with a fiery start, as referee Tobias Welz dished out four yellow cards in the opening 18 minutes. Freiburg felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Eggestein broke through and appeared to be tripped by his marker, but the midfielder stayed on his feet and managed a shot wide.
Eggestein soon found redemption, giving his side the lead with an instinctive finish after Ginter headed Grifo’s corner and Eggestein flicked the ball past Nubel with ease. Stuttgart finally began to assert themselves towards the closing stages of the first half, but squandered three good chances before the break.
The hosts emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and immediately threatened through Fuhrich, who sent his effort narrowly wide. Freiburg remained dangerous on the counter, with Manzambi and Matanovic both having attempts blocked.
Stuttgart thought they had equalised shortly after when Stiller found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Demirovic. VfB did not have to wait long for the equaliser, however, with Undav steering El Khannouss’ perfectly weighted through-ball past Mueller and into the far corner with 20 minutes remaining.
The game went into extra time after Freiburg resisted Stuttgart’s late pressure, with both sides showing caution at the start of the additional period. Stuttgart gradually asserted themselves, but Freiburg felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Eggestein broke through and appeared to be tripped.
Eggestein soon found redemption, giving Freiburg the lead with an instinctive finish after Ginter headed Grifo’s corner and Eggestein flicked the ball past Nubel with ease. Stuttgart finally began to assert themselves towards the closing stages of the first half of extra time, but squandered three good chances before the break.
The hosts emerged for the second half of extra time with renewed purpose and immediately threatened through Fuhrich, who sent his effort narrowly wide. Freiburg remained dangerous on the counter, with Manzambi and Matanovic both having attempts blocked.
Stuttgart thought they had equalised shortly after when Stiller found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Demirovic. VfB did not have to wait long for the equaliser, however, with Undav steering El Khannouss’ perfectly weighted through-ball past Mueller and into the far corner with 20 minutes remaining in the match.
The appearance of a penalty shootout was prevented when Tomas produced a moment of individual brilliance. Leaping high, the substitute glanced a clever back-heel into the left-hand corner in the 119th minute to send Stuttgart into raptures and secure their place in the final.
The goal means Stuttgart have achieved what no previous version of the club has managed – reaching back-to-back DFB Cup finals. As one Stuttgart player put it after the match: “Wir haben geschafft, was diesem Klub noch nie gelungen ist” – We have achieved what this club has never managed before.
Stuttgart will now prepare for the DFB Cup final against Bayern Munich, with the date and venue yet to be confirmed. The club will look to build on this momentum as they aim to defend their German Cup title in what promises to be a compelling finale to the domestic season.
What does this victory mean for Stuttgart’s season? It provides a significant boost as they compete on multiple fronts, giving the team belief that they can compete with the very best in German football.
How did Tomas change the game? His introduction off the bench provided the spark Stuttgart needed, with his individual quality proving decisive in the moments that mattered most.
What’s next for both teams? Stuttgart face Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup final, while Freiburg will look to regroup and focus on their Bundesliga campaign as they aim for European qualification.
The victory sets up a mouth-watering final as Stuttgart seek to defend their title against the dominant force in German football. For the players and fans at the MHP Arena, it was a night to remember as Tomas’ late strike sent Stuttgart to Berlin for another shot at glory.
As the Stuttgart players celebrated on the pitch, the realization sank in that they had achieved something historic for the club. In the words of their captain: “Wir haben geschafft, was diesem Klub noch nie gelungen ist.”
Stay tuned to Archysport for all the latest updates on the DFB Cup final and follow Stuttgart’s journey as they aim to lift the trophy once again.
