VfB Stuttgart secured a 3-0 victory away against Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League league phase, driven by a first-half goal from captain Deniz Undav, an own goal by Sandro Cruz, and a late strike by Ermedin Demirovic, welt.de reported.
Stuttgart Dominates First Half on Difficult Pitch
Playing on the uneven surface at the National Stadium in Bratislava, the visitors controlled the opening 45 minutes. Undav broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, receiving a pass from Angelo Stiller before sliding a low shot into the far corner. The strike marked Undav’s first competitive goal of the season in his eighth appearance across all competitions, though his effort took a deflection that left Slovan goalkeeper Dominik Takac stranded. Just moments earlier, Takac had denied Undav from close range with a sharp foot save. Despite sustained pressure and further chances from El Khannouss, Chris Führich, Ramon Hendriks, and Josha Vagnoman—whose 18-yard volley struck the crossbar—Stuttgart entered halftime with only a single-goal advantage.
Deniz #Undav shortlisted for Player of the Month again 🙌With five goals and two assists in the Bundesliga, Undav made a big contribution to VfB’s haul of 10 points from a possible 12 in March. Click here to vote for Deniz: https://t.co/XC7MYNcnUV#VfB | #BundesligaPOTM pic.twitter.com/TxBfGoG6Rn
VAR Disallows Equalizer Before Second-Goal Breakthrough
Slovan Bratislava, coached by former Champions League winner Yaya Touré, briefly thought they had equalized shortly after the interval. Following a long clearance by Takac, forward Suleiman Camara broke clear and beat Stuttgart goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow. However, after a lengthy review, the video assistant referee disallowed the goal for offside. Replays showed Slovan captain Andraz Sporar had made a slight touch on the ball just before Camara collected it. Stuttgart survived another scare when Sandro Cruz rattled the crossbar with a powerful shot for the hosts. Five minutes later, Cruz turned villain for Bratislava by inadvertently turning Vagnoman’s cross through Takac’s legs and into his own net in the 65th minute, doubling Stuttgart’s lead to 2-0.
Demirovic Seals Second Straight European Win
With Bratislava unable to mount a serious offensive threat against Bredlow, Stuttgart coasted through the remainder of the fixture. Substitute Ermedin Demirovic added the final goal in the 90th minute, wrapping up a comfortable three-goal margin. The result gives the Bundesliga side their second win in two matches in the current Champions League league phase, following a 3-1 opening victory against Viking Stavanger. Slovan Bratislava remains winless, following an opening 6-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
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