Josha Vagnoman strikes late as VfB Stuttgart come from behind to beat Cologne
VfB Stuttgart climbed above Cologne in the standings after beating them 2-1, their first away victory of the season, after initially going behind early on.
Cologne 1-2 VfB Stuttgart
Goals: 1-0 Kamiński 4‘ (assist: Ache), 1-1 Demirović 29‘ (pen.), 1-2 Vagnoman 81‘ (assist: Stiller)
Promoted Cologne came into this game having made an impressive start to the season with seven points from four games, but with only one of those matches played at home.
Stuttgart, meanwhile, came into the fixture with positive momentum having won their previous two matches against St. Pauli in the Bundesliga and Celta Vigo in the UEFA Europa League, but were yet to collect a point away from home this campaign.
Dream start for Cologne
The hosts got off to a flying start when Jakub Kamiński fired them ahead in just the fourth minute. After Stuttgart lost possession in midfield, Jan Thielmann took control and played it to Ragnar Ache, who threaded a perfect pass to the Polish midfielder, which he slotted past Alexander Nübel with remarkable composure.
Cologne nearly doubled their advantage just minutes later when Ache was put clean through, but his lobbed effort was cleared off the line by Vagnoman.
Stuttgart gradually grew into the game, creating several chances, before the pivotal moment arrived in the 28th minute. After a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot following a foul by Marvin Schwäbe on Ermedin Demirović. The striker stepped up and confidently dispatched the penalty into the bottom corner to level the scores.
Stuttgart's second-half persistence pays off
Both sides made numerous changes in the second half as they searched for a winner. Stuttgart dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances, while Cologne looked threatening on the counter-attack.
Tiago Tomás came closest for the visitors when his effort struck the post in the 70th minute, before the breakthrough finally arrived nine minutes from time when Angelo Stiller played an incisive through ball to Vagnoman, who had made an intelligent run inside the full-back. The defender bent his shot into the far corner beyond Schwäbe's reach.
Despite a late surge from Cologne, with Luca Waldschmidt firing over in the dying seconds, Stuttgart held firm to secure their first away victory of the season. That makes it two wins from the last two in the league for Sebastian Hoeneß's men, who appear to be hitting some form.
Player of the Match: Ermedin Demirović
The Stuttgart striker delivered a commanding performance that epitomised his side's resilience. After a shaky start from his team, Demirović took responsibility when it mattered most, coolly converting the penalty that brought them back into the match. His spot-kick, struck at 106.6 km/h, gave Schwäbe no chance as it nestled into the bottom corner.
Beyond his goal, the striker was a constant threat throughout, causing problems for the Cologne defence with his movement and physical presence. His influential display rightly earned him the Man of the Match accolade with 29% of the votes.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Cologne 1.17 - Stuttgart 2.07
Fastest player: Ramon Hendriks (Stuttgart), 35.04 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Jakub Piotr Kamiński (Cologne), 32 percent
Most pressed player: Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart), 16 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Ramon Hendriks (Stuttgart), 2.19
Fantasy Heroes: Josha Vagnoman (Stuttgart, 336 Points), Jakub Kamiński (Cologne, 273 Points), Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart, 215 Points)
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