VfB Stuttgart disappointed: only 1-1 in the Champions League comeback!
VfB Stuttgart disappointed: only 1-1 in the Champions League comeback!
In the Stuttgart Arena, there was a tense atmosphere when VfB Stuttgart played its first Champions League home game for more than 14 years on Tuesday evening. Despite a promising start with an early tour of Enzo Millot in the seventh minute, the German runner-up against Sparta Prague could not go beyond a 1-1 draw. This game meant another setback for the Swabians, which after two game days of the new Champions League season only have one point on the account.
The VfB started the game strongly. Millot, who was already shining in the Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund, showed his talent and headed a precise flank by Maximilian Mittelstädt on the net for early lead. But the cheers only lasted briefly, because in the 32nd minute Kaan Kairinen scored the deserved compensation for the guests from Prague in front of around 60,000 spectators.
the game
Despite the early tour, the team of coach Sebastian Hoeneß did not really find their game. Sparta Prague acted more dangerous in the first half and brought Stuttgart into trouble a few times. A post shot by Martin Vitik in the 13th minute illustrated the dangerousness of the Czech team. In this phase of the game, the VfB was only sporadic pressure and interrupted its own dominance with inaccurate passes and wrong decisions in attack.
In the second half, however, the Swabians increased their number of stroke. Trainer Hoeneß made a few tactical changes, including the change from Chris Leadership for Ermedin Demirovic, to bring more breath of fresh air into play. In fact, the VfB now strived to take control and put Sparta under pressure thanks to the high possession of the ball. But despite several attempts to score the decisive second goal, there was a lack of the necessary precision in front of the goal.
The guests remained dangerous throughout the game. The Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel was able to intervene a few times, including at the Birmancevic free kick, which made him difficult in the 55th minute. VfB was lucky that the attempt to take the lead for the Czechs failed.
after the game
After the final whistle, those responsible for VfB commented on the team's performance. Fabian Wohlgemuth, the sports director, spoke of a "mixed" first section, but emphasized the dominant second half. He explained that the team could ultimately "live well" with the draw. Sebastian Hoeneß, on the other hand, was somewhat disappointed because he had hoped for two more points. He noted that the team had made too many wrong decisions in the end and that this must be improved in the coming games.
for VfB is the way in the Champions League season, and the performance against Sparta shows that despite a strong second half, the constancy and determination on the square must be improved in order to successfully design future games. Even if the return to European competition was celebrated, the challenge of delivering the hoped -for results remains. Another exciting and at the same time challenging evening in the Stuttgart Arena is over and the fans can look forward to the upcoming games.