Demirovic inspires Stuttgart to much-needed win over St. Pauli | OneFootball

VfB made three changes on the night, with Lorenz Assignon, Chema Andres, and Tiago Tomas drafted in, while Ermedin Demirovic wore the armband for the first time.

The Bosnian thought he had made an instant impact, heading home Angelo Stiller’s free-kick after just four minutes, only for celebrations to be cut short by the referee’s whistle.

Bilal El Khannouss looked sharp in the early exchanges, constantly demanding the ball and probing at Pauli’s lines. The visitors, led by Bad Cannstatt-born Alexander Blessin, were slow to impose themselves but carried the threat of pace on the counter with Andreas Hountondji.

The game’s first real turning point arrived after 20 minutes, when Tomas’s mazy run forced Eric Smith into a clumsy challenge inside the box.

Stiller stepped up, but his tame effort was easily saved by Nikola Vasilj, the Pauli keeper extending his remarkable Bundesliga penalty record to six saves from seven faced. Minutes later, Stiller spurned another golden chance, hesitating one-on-one before Vasilj smothered again.

Relief finally came for Stuttgart in the 43rd minute. Demirovic twisted inside the penalty area, creating just enough space to delicately lift the ball over Vasilj and into the roof of the net. It was a captain’s finish - his second goal in as many games - and the perfect response to the recent scrutiny on Sebastian Hoeneß’s side.

The second half began with Stuttgart at their fluid best. Within four minutes, El Khannouss crowned his performance with his first Bundesliga goal. A flowing move down the left saw Jamie Leweling cross for Demirovic, who cushioned a clever lay-off into the Moroccan’s path. The midfielder placed his shot with care into the bottom-right corner, sparking celebrations in front of the Untertürkheimer Kurve.

Pauli almost struck back immediately, with Louis Oppie rattling the underside of the bar with a left-footed half-volley, before Nübel produced a superb save to deny him again one-on-one. For a spell, Blessin’s side pushed numbers forward, but Stuttgart’s defensive resolve held firm.

Stuttgart thought they had a third when Stiller’s curling free-kick flew straight in on 58 minutes, but captain Demirovic was judged narrowly offside in front of Vasilj. Still, VfB looked more like their old selves, their attacking combinations sharper, their intensity restored.

Stuttgart saw out the remaining minutes without fuss to claim a deserved 2-0 victory, with a performance that felt like a direct response to both the Freiburg collapse and the criticism that followed.

Hoeneß will hope it is the start of a resurgence, with European action next on the horizon as Celta Vigo visit MHPArena in the Europa League on Thursday.