Adam Hložek brace earns Hoffenheim first win of season over VfB Stuttgart
Adam Hložek's double secured Hoffenheim their first Bundesliga win of the season as they saw off regional rivals VfB Stuttgart.
Hoffenheim 2-1 VfB Stuttgart
Goals: 1-0 Hložek 13' (assist: Conté), 1-1 Mittelstädt 48' (assist: Vagnoman), 2-1 Hložek 67' (assist: Daghim)
Bambasé Conté made his second start for Hoffenheim, with Patrick Wimmer dropping to the bench, as head coach Christian Ilzer set his side up in a 4-4-2 shape. Stuttgart, lining up in a 3-4-2-1, rotated in Ramon Hendriks, Josha Vagnoman and Dženan Pejčinović following their midweek Champions League win, sending Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling and Bilal El Khannouss to the bench. Grischa Prömel captained Stuttgart for the first time, returning to the club he left for the visitors in the summer.
Hložek strikes first
Hoffenheim went close early on when Adam Daghim sent Hložek through, only for the effort to find the side netting. Stuttgart responded when Ermedin Demirović raced onto a ball over the top, but Oliver Baumann rushed out to scoop it clear.
Hoffenheim then broke the deadlock in the 13th minute as Conté won the ball back, drove forward and slipped a pass to Hložek, who kept his composure to beat Fabian Bredlow. It was Hložek's first Bundesliga goal since May 2025.
Baumann keeps Stuttgart at bay
Stuttgart continued to threaten before the break, with Prömel firing straight at Baumann after a combination involving Pejčinović, and Demirović twice more forcing saves from the Hoffenheim goalkeeper. Hložek also tested Bredlow from distance late in the half.
Mittelstädt levels for Stuttgart
Stuttgart drew level with their first attack of the second half, in the 48th minute. Vagnoman burst forward and whipped a cross into the danger zone, Baumann could only divert it, and Maximilian Mittelstädt steered the loose ball home.
Wimmer replaced Conté for Hoffenheim as Stuttgart continued to press, with Bredlow saving from Wouter Burger and Tim Lemperle in quick succession, and Finn Jeltsch striking the crossbar from a corner before being flagged offside.
Hložek restores the lead
Wouter Burger picked up a yellow card as the game intensified, and Baumann denied Pejčinović in a one-on-one before Stuttgart sent on Undav and El Khannouss.
However, Hoffenheim struck again in the 67th minute. Albian Hajdari intercepted a misplaced Pejčinović pass, the ball found Daghim, and he slipped in Hložek for an instinctive finish past Bredlow to make it 2-1.
Stuttgart push for an equaliser
Ilzer sent on Kōki Machida and Valentin Gendrey to shore things up, and Hoffenheim survived a let-off when Vagnoman squared for Undav, who cut the ball back across goal instead of shooting, allowing the hosts to clear.
Jeltsch hit the bar from an offside position as the hosts held firm to secure their first league win of the season after blowing leads in defeat on Matchdays 1 and 2.
Man of the Match: Adam Hložek
Scorer of both Hoffenheim goals, Hložek was named Man of the Match with 52 percent of the votes. It was his third Bundesliga brace and his first league goals since May 2025, ending a lengthy injury-affected spell for the Czech forward.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Hoffenheim 2.82 - Stuttgart 2.50
Fastest player: Adam Daghim (TSG), 34.11 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Adam Hložek (TSG), 27 percent
Pass efficiency: Yanik Spalt (VFB), +4.29
Fantasy Heroes: Maximilian Mittelstädt (VfB Stuttgart, 305 Points), Adam Hložek (TSG Hoffenheim, 303 Points), Adam Daghim (TSG Hoffenheim, 168 Points)
