VfB Stuttgart defeat 1. FC Köln 4:1 to claim first Bundesliga victory
Following an opening-round loss at Bayern Munich, Sebastian Hoeneß's team scored four goals in front of 60,000 fans to defeat Köln.
Rebound at home
VfB Stuttgart recorded their first victory of the new Bundesliga season with a 4:1 win over 1. FC Köln in their home opener. The result arrived one week after a 1:5 defeat against FC Bayern Munich on matchday one. A crowd of 60,000 spectators attended the match, including Germany national team coach Jürgen Klopp, who had also watched Stuttgart play in Munich the previous week. Stuttgart supporters gathered ahead of kickoff for the traditional Karawane Cannstatt fan march to celebrate the first home fixture. Hoeneß spoke to Sky before the match regarding the atmosphere surrounding the team.
We are extremely happy about what was going on out there again. Now the season really begins.
Temperatures hovered around 28 degrees Celsius at kickoff. The start of the match was briefly delayed after visiting Köln supporters ignited pyrotechnics in the away section.
First-half dominance and woodwork strikes
Hoeneß instructed his players to press immediately and direct their play forward from the opening whistle. Köln, managed by René Wagner, had to adjust their lineup after striker Said El Mala missed the trip due to illness. Stuttgart controlled possession early and created several scoring opportunities, hitting the crossbar twice within the first fifteen minutes. Right-back Josha Vagnoman struck the woodwork from two meters out in the 9th minute. Roughly five minutes later, Dzenan Pejcinovic directed a header onto the crossbar. Deniz Undav and new arrival Grischa Prömel also failed to convert early chances.
Stuttgart broke the deadlock in the 39th minute through Moroccan international Bilal El Khannouss. El Khannouss collected the ball, dribbled past the opposing defense, nutmegged Köln defender Luka Lochoshvili, and placed a low shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
Second-half pressure and counter-attacks
Köln, coming off an opening-day 3:2 win over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, pushed forward aggressively after the half-time break. Midfielder Ellyes Skhiri missed an opportunity to level the score, prompting a brief defensive struggle for Stuttgart in which goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow produced multiple saves. Stuttgart weathered the pressure and doubled their advantage in the 60th minute when Prömel finished an attack that El Khannouss helped initiate.
- Josha Vagnoman hits the crossbar from close range
- Dzenan Pejcinovic heads the ball against the crossbar
- Bilal El Khannouss scores after a solo run to give Stuttgart the lead
- Grischa Prömel doubles Stuttgart's advantage
- Ermedin Demirovic enters the match as a substitute
- Ermedin Demirovic scores Stuttgart's third goal
- Ramon Hendriks scores an own goal to put Köln on the scoreboard
- Josha Vagnoman scores Stuttgart's fourth goal with a volley
Hoeneß introduced Ermedin Demirovic in the 70th minute. Five minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Demirovic executed an individual run through the Köln back line to score Stuttgart's third goal in the 75th minute.
Closing exchanges and European outlook
Köln managed to alter the scoreline in the 81st minute when Stuttgart defender Ramon Hendriks deflected the ball into his own goal. Stuttgart restored their three-goal cushion in the 90th minute when Vagnoman scored with a volley to make it 4:1. The win provides Stuttgart with their first points of the domestic league season ahead of their return to European competition. The team will host Norwegian club Viking Stavanger in their opening UEFA Champions League fixture on Wednesday.
