Stuttgart find resilience amid chaos in narrow win over Gladbach | OneFootball

This time last week, Stuttgart were recovering from their second opening day loss in a row, after feeling the wrath of the Försterei in a frustrating 2-1 defeat on the road against Union Berlin, with a rescheduled DFB-Pokal trip to Eintracht Braunschweig looming. VfB eventually scraped through 8-7 on penalties, hardly easing the nerves.

Days later came the long-anticipated Nick Woltemade transfer. In the end, it wasn’t Rekordmeister Bayern who stumped up the valuation north of €80 million, but Newcastle United - themselves entangled in a transfer battle involving Alexander Isak.

Heading into the weekend, Stuttgart badly needed a response. They were looking to avoid opening a campaign with two straight defeats for the first time since 2018/19 - a season that ended in relegation.

On paper, this side is far removed from relegation battles, but after last week’s defeat and the midweek chaos, Saturday’s reaction was always going to be vital.

VfB’s Commando Cannstatt prepared a striking choreography to celebrate 100 years of the club’s iconic Brustring, while the traditional march to the Neckarstadion set the tone for the home curtain-raiser.

Against a Gladbach side also winless on opening weekend, the encounter had all the trappings of a big occasion. Maximilian Mittelstädt captured the mood perfectly afterwards: "The fans’ choreography gave me goosebumps - it was incredible what they put on.”

The match itself was not the most enthralling example of Bundesliga football, and for long stretches it looked destined to finish goalless.

Deniz Undav was forced off inside the opening 15 minutes, while Gladbach enjoyed promising spells in possession but again lacked conviction in the final third, a recurring issue that also plagued Stuttgart during last season’s Rückrunde.

Alexander Nübel produced several important saves to keep the visitors at bay, and it was one of Sebastian Hoeneß’s summer signings who ultimately tilted the balance.

With the game drifting, the introduction of Chema Andrés in the 64th minute proved decisive. The 20-year-old Spaniard, a summer arrival from Real Madrid, made his mark just fifteen minutes later, guiding Jamie Leweling’s cross into the bottom corner with a well-timed header.

Gladbach responded with a quadruple substitution in the 84th minute in search of an equaliser, but Stuttgart’s defence held firm to secure their first Bundesliga win of the season.

Stuttgart managed just seven clean sheets in the Bundesliga last season, with defensive absences contributing to some erratic performances during the Rückrunde in particular.

On Saturday, however, VfB shut out their opponents at home for only the third time in 2025. Youngster Finn Jeltsch once again impressed at the back, continuing the steady form he has shown since arriving from Nürnberg earlier this year.

A narrow victory, a clean sheet, and a centenary celebration in full voice - all told, it was the perfect response to a turbulent week.

It may be too soon to dismiss the worries altogether, especially with consistency having been such a major issue in the second half of last season. Still, Stuttgart head into the international break in far better shape than they might have been with back-to-back defeats.

With the transfer window closing on Monday, reports suggest Nice winger Badredine Bouanani is set to join. While it may be too late for the club to fully deploy the Woltemade windfall, further additions could still arrive at Mercedesstraße before the deadline.

With the international break here, Stuttgart now look to Freiburg and St. Pauli before their Europa League opener against Celta Vigo.

Calling a Matchweek two clash ‘crucial’ may sound unusual, but Saturday’s win over Gladbach was exactly that.

A clean sheet, three points, and a touch of steadiness quiet some of the panic, though VfB must now turn resilience into consistency.