Stuttgart secured their spot in the DFB Pokal Final for the second consecutive year on Thursday night, triumphing over their Baden-Württemberg rivals Freiburg in an electrifying match at the MHP Arena.
Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß made four adjustments to the team that suffered a 4-2 loss to Bayern Munich the previous weekend, bringing back regular starters Deniz Undav, Ermedin Demirović, Maximilian Mittelstädt, and Nikolas Nartey, replacing Bilal El Khannouss, Tiago Tomás, Josha Vagnoman, and Finn Jeltsch.
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Freiburg, who were the beaten finalists in 2022, reinstated many of their key players following their victory against Heidenheim over the weekend. Notably, Florian Müller retained his position as the starting goalkeeper for Die Breisgauer ahead of Noah Atubolu.
After an intense start where referee Tobias Welz issued four yellow cards within the first 18 minutes, Freiburg believed they should have been awarded a penalty when Maximilian Eggestein broke through and seemed to be tripped, but he opted to stay on his feet and took a shot.
Eggestein soon redeemed himself, giving Freiburg the lead with a clever finish. After Matthias Ginter headed a corner from Vincenzo Grifo towards the goal, Eggestein flicked it past Alexander Nübel with ease, left unmarked in the box.
Stuttgart gradually began to take control in the latter stages of a first half largely dominated by Freiburg, yet they wasted three significant opportunities before halftime. Ermedin Demirović, Jamie Leweling, and Deniz Undav all failed to capitalize on their chances.
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The hosts kicked off the second half as they finished the first, creating another opportunity to equalize with a rapid counter-attack. Leweling delivered the ball across the box to Chris Führich, who was unable to make a solid enough connection to convert it into a goal.
Stuttgart continued their pursuit, compelling Florian Müller to make his first save of the night when he denied Angelo Stiller at close range. Stiller did find the net a minute later, striking a spectacular shot from outside the box, but his celebrations were cut short as Demirović was offside during the build-up.
With Stuttgart pressing for an equalizer, Freiburg recognized their adversaries’ defensive fragility and almost doubled their lead. Igor Matanović had his shot blocked, with the rebound falling to Yuito Suzuki, who shot straight into Nübel’s waiting arms. Stuttgart quickly transitioned through substitute Bilal El Khannouss, who set up Deniz Undav, the former Brighton striker finishing confidently into the far corner.
Undav nearly put Stuttgart ahead with a stroke of luck; his cross aimed at Demirović was deflected off Lienhart and beat Müller, but the goalpost saved the day for Stuttgart.
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As the game continued at a thrilling pace leading into stoppage time, Müller made two superb saves from Führich and Undav, forcing the match into extra time.
A moment of controversy unfolded at the start of the extra 30 minutes when Lucas Höler found the net for Freiburg off a quick free-kick, only for the referee to disallow the goal due to a foul on Jeff Chabot during the build-up.
Führich then missed a prime chance after breaking one-on-one with Müller, as his attempt hit the woodwork. El Khannouss thought he had given Stuttgart the lead, but Müller’s incredible save kept it level.
With legs tiring in the latter stages of extra time, chances were scarce until the 119th minute when substitute Tiago Tomás sealed victory for Stuttgart with an exquisite backheel. The MHP Arena erupted with cheers.
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After a thrilling 120 minutes, Freiburg faced heartbreak while Stuttgart celebrated, as they now await a showdown against Bayern Munich in Berlin on May 23rd, aiming to become the ninth team to win the DFB Pokal consecutively.
Stuttgart 2–1 Freiburg | Player Ratings
Stuttgart:
Alexander Nübel (6) – Ramon Hendriks (6), Jeff Chabot (8), Maximilian Mittelstädt (6) – Jamie Leweling (7), Atakan Karazor (6), Angelo Stiller (8), Chris Führich (6) – Deniz Undav (8), Nikolas Nartey (6) – Ermedin Demirović (5)
Others: Bilal El Khannouss (7), Tiago Tomás (7), Luca Jaquez (-), Josha Vagnoman (-), Badredine Bouanani (-)
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Freiburg:
Florian Müller (9) – Philipp Treu (6), Matthias Ginter (7), Philipp Lienhart (7), Jordy Makengo (6) – Maximilian Eggestein (8), Johan Manzambi (7) – Jan-Niklas Beste (6), Yuito Suzuki (6), Vincenzo Grifo (6) – Igor Matanović (6)
Others: Lucas Höler (6), Derry Scherhant (6), Christian Günter (-), Lukas Kübler (-), Bruno Ogbus (-)
GGFN Man of the Match | Florian Müller (9)
If there was one player who truly deserved to walk away with a win, it was Florian Müller. The Freiburg goalkeeper thwarted the Stuttgart attacks throughout the second half and extra time, with no chance on Tomás’s late decisive goal.
With his outstanding displays in the Pokal this season, Müller has positioned himself as a potential candidate to replace Noah Atubolu as Freiburg’s starting goalkeeper.
GGFN | Harry Good