Unbelievable value! Undav is poised to make VfB history

VfB Stuttgart v Sport-Club Freiburg - DFB Cup Semifinal

VfB Stuttgart have reached the DFB-Pokal final once again. Here are three key observations from their semi-final against defending champions SC Freiburg.

VfB Stuttgart will meet FC Bayern Munich in the Berlin final after edging past SC Freiburg 2-1 in extra time. For long spells, coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s game plan floundered, largely thanks to Matthias Ginter’s class. However, Deniz Undav hauled the Swabians back into contention and moved closer to a club record. Tiago Tomas then struck the decisive winner in the 119th minute, sending Stuttgart to Berlin. 

All risk, little reward: Sebastian Hoeneß’s game plan is still not paying off.

The match report immediately raised eyebrows. Sky and ARD therefore sought clarification from Hoeneß, hoping to shed light on the matter. 

His game plan was simple: attack at full throttle. “I wanted to field as many players as possible who can score goals,” the VfB coach explained, justifying his four changes from the 2-4 loss at Bayern Munich. With Undav, Ermedin Demirovic, Jamie Leweling, Chris Führich and Nikolas Nartey all starting, the plan looked sound on paper. Yet goal threats remained elusive for long spells. In the first half, the Swabians did not manage a noteworthy shot on Freiburg’s goal until the 40th minute. That attempt signalled a sustained period of pressure that should have yielded an equaliser and felt relentless. 

Up to that point, Stuttgart’s xG read a paltry 0.07, a number that jumped just before the break and eventually climbed to 4.25. Poor finishing then frustrated the hosts, until Undav finally broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, finishing off a superb move initiated by substitute Bilal El Khannouss, who had been surprisingly left on the bench but excelled after his introduction. Hoeneß’s substitutions proved decisive: Tomas and Badredine Bouanani, the latter providing the assist for the winner, both made immediate impacts. 

At the back, he fielded an unusual defence of three left-footers: Maximilian Mittelstädt at left-back, defensive anchor Jeff Chabot in the middle and Ramon Hendriks, deployed on the right. On the right, Leweling and Nartey combined, though their partnership occasionally looked fragile. 

After a frantic opening, Freiburg gradually grew into the game, and their set-piece prowess ultimately told. Maximilian Eggestein’s goal, assisted by a corner from Vincenzo Grifo, was preceded by a disastrous back pass from Angelo Stiller deep in Stuttgart’s half. 

VfB Stuttgart v Sport-Club Freiburg - DFB Cup Semifinal

Next letter of application from Matthias Ginter to Julian Nagelsmann

Ginter, not Grifo, provided the assist. Beyond that, the centre-back delivered another commanding display in front of Julian Nagelsmann in Stuttgart, clearing nearly every ball that came his way (14 clearances) and winning nine of 14 duels. He has been in outstanding form for weeks. 

The 32-year-old cleared almost every ball that came his way (14 clearances) and won nine of his 14 challenges. Ginter has been in impressive form for weeks. 

After his goal sealed a 3-0 win in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Celta Vigo, record Germany cap Lothar Matthäus labelled his display “perfect”. “The way he played, it doesn’t get any better than that,” enthused SCF manager Julian Schuster afterwards. “It was impressive, the performance he put in and how he inspired his teammates as a result.” If he were the national team manager, he would “take Ginter along”, added striker Igor Matanovic. “The team’s success speaks for itself and he has played a huge part in that.”

Nevertheless, his chances of earning a World Cup call-up remain slim. His 51st and most recent international appearance came three years ago, shortly before Nagelsmann succeeded Hansi Flick. For the March camp, the national coach named Nico Schlotterbeck and Jonathan Tah, then added Antonio Rüdiger and Waldemar Anton as expected. Malick Thiaw was also called up but did not play and remains a borderline case. 

Shortly afterwards, Ginter described the missed opportunity as a “disappointing conversation”. He rates his chances of boarding the plane to the World Cup as slim, though Stuttgart’s Chabot remains hopeful of that same spot. “I’ve worked under a wide variety of managers and I’m no fool when it comes to structure and defensive behaviour,” Ginter added. 

His only weakness is his play with the ball. Should Fribourg lift the Europa League trophy, a call-up would finally be justified. 

Unbelievable value! Deniz Undav is on the brink of a club record.

Ginter played a key role in ensuring that Undav had achieved next to nothing before his goal. The striker lost most of his challenges, sprayed a series of misplaced passes and recorded more turnovers than any other VfB outfielder. 

Yet when it mattered most, he struck. Undav netted the equaliser from a tight angle, showing the clinical finishing that recently left Nagelsmann struggling to explain his form. The 29-year-old could now travel to the World Cup as Germany’s leading goalscorer, and with a dash of luck, he might even cap his outstanding campaign with a club record. 

His 24th goal across all competitions takes his tally to 37 points, leaving him second only to Mario Gomez in VfB’s all-time rankings. Undav now needs just four more goal contributions to match Gomez’s 2008/09 record of 35 goals and six assists, per Opta.

He might have cut that deficit immediately: after his strike, he hit the post and, late on, was foiled by a world-class save from SC Freiburg goalkeeper Florian Müller that sent the game into extra time. In the additional period, the woodwork denied him again, this time via a Chris Führich effort that also struck the post. 

Against Bayern at the weekend, Undav had deprived himself of the chance to close the gap on Gomez. Following an unnecessary skirmish with Hamburg’s Nicolas Capaldo the previous week, Undav had been shown his fifth yellow card. He also missed a penalty against HSV and squandered several clear-cut chances. 

Four league games and the Berlin final remain for Undav to rewrite the record books—a feat that would also strengthen his bargaining position as he seeks a new contract. Reports suggest he is seeking a club-record salary. 

VfB Stuttgart v Sport-Club Freiburg - DFB Cup Semifinal

Club record under threat: Deniz Undav and Mario Gomez compared