Stuttgart condemned to play-offs despite home win | OneFootball

After thrashing tonight's visitors 5-1 during their last meeting in December 2024, Stuttgart could not have gotten off to a better start this time around. 

Deniz Undav would open the scoring for the hosts after just five minutes - guiding home a neat ball from Lorenz Assignon, following a lovely pass out to the right flank from Finn Jeltsch. 

Neckarstadion barely had time to breathe before VfB were attacking the Untertürkheimer Kurve once again, with Ermedin Demirovic doubling the lead within a minute of play resuming. 

Sebastian Hoeneß's side capitalised on a sloppy restart from Young Boys, and opening goalscorer Undav had slipped through Demirovic in no time. In acres of space, the Bosnian would bundle the ball home via the body of the onrushing Marvin Keller. 

At this point, Stuttgart were doing their own job, though they would remain reliant on results elsewhere for a potential top-eight spot. 

Chris Führich missed a big chance to add a third in the 31st minute, with the wideman scuffing a one-on-one effort, while centre-back Jeltsch remained one of the liveliest individuals for the hosts. 

Multiple times in the opening 45, the youngster drove through the heart of the Young Boys' defence, and even tested goalkeeper Keller with a powerful drive from distance - forcing Gerardo Seoane's shotstopper into a good save down to his right-hand side. 

Barring an effort inside the box from Chris Bedia, Stuttgart could not have hoped for more control. 

That was until the dying minutes of the half, when the deficit was halved thanks to a sensational effort from Armin Gigovic, who arrowed an effort into the top corner from the edge of the box, after the visitors took advantage of some poor distribution from Fabian Bredlow.

Due to Porto's lead against Rangers, VfB went into the second half sitting ninth. They were doing all they could, but goals were going to have to go in elsewhere.

After being gifted a lifeline at the back end of the first half, Young Boys would begin the second period with much more life than the first. 

They themselves required points to secure a play-off spot - the test, though, would be forcing Bredlow into action. 

And Sandro Lauper would do exactly that in the 57th minute, as he rattled in a wonderfully hit volley from the edge of the box following an Edimilson Fernandes corner. 

Striking it perfectly to fly past a helpless Bredlow, Young Boys found themselves level through two goals that will be difficult to top in the Europa League. At the same time, Stuttgart were stunned after dominating the majority of the encounter.

VfB were completely rocked. Sloppy pass after sloppy pass was coming from the back, while the visitors had seized all of the control, leading Hoeneß to turn to Jamie Leweling, Bilal El Khannouss, Atakan Karazor and Ramon Hendriks from the bench.

It would not be harsh on either Stuttgart or Young Boys to suggest that tonight should have been a walk in the park after the early dominance. Though the match remained on a knife-edge, and had become an end-to-end clash as  VfB looked to put themselves back into the top eight fight. 

However, the hosts had simply lost control of the encounter entirely, and were relying on ambitious efforts from distance - a stark comparison to the fantastically worked chances of the first half.

Though their moment would come in the final seconds of the 90, following a counterattacking situation that had been hard to come by for large periods of the second half. 

Substitutes El Khannouss and Leweling would link up down the left-hand side before Chema Andres was found at the back post - hammering home from close range, sending Cannstatter Kurve into raptures.

Though crucially, wins for Real Betis and Porto, and a draw for Roma, would keep Stuttgart in 10th, condemning Die Schwaben to the play-offs.