VfB Stuttgart sweep aside Hamburg in dominant display
VfB Stuttgart earned a commanding 4-0 victory over Hamburg with goals from Angelo Stiller, Chris Führich, Maximilian Mittelstädt, and Bilal El Khannouss to strengthen their UEFA Champions League credentials.
VfB Stuttgart 4-0 HamburgGoals: 1-0 Stiller 22’ (assist: Leweling), 2-0 Führich 32’ (assist: Demirović), 3-0 Mittelstädt 56’ (assist: Führich), 4-0 El Khannouss 86’ (assist: Tomás)Penalties missed: Undav 82’
Stuttgart entered the match looking to bounce back from their disappointing late defeat against Borussia Dortmund. Despite the setback, the hosts still had Champions League qualification in their own hands.
Hamburg, meanwhile, had struggled for form, winning just one of their previous seven matches – a 2-1 victory in Wolfsburg. The visitors had drawn 10 matches this season, the highest in the Bundesliga, with six of those stalemates coming in the second half of the campaign.
Stuttgart dominated from the kick-off, controlling possession and pinning Hamburg back. Deniz Undav had the first chance of the game when found by a Jamie Leweling cutback, but he couldn't hit the target.
However, the hosts continued pushing and opened the scoring through Angelo Stiller after 22 minutes. A precise ball through the lines by Ramon Hendriks was brought under control by Undav. He then found Leweling on the right, who cut the ball back perfectly for Stiller to finish with precision.
Stuttgart then doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute when Chris Führich fired home after Hamburg's attempt to play out from the back went disastrously wrong. Stiller pinched a loose pass before Undav and Ermedin Demirović combined neatly to give Führich the space needed to finish.
Stuttgart picked up where they left off after the interval, with Ermedin Demirović forcing a save from Daniel Heuer Fernandes just minutes into the second half when he perhaps should have left the keeper with no chance.
The Hamburg goalkeeper was kept busy, denying Maximilian Mittelstädt in the 51st minute, followed by Undav and Führich soon after. Mittelstädt wouldn't be denied for long, though, as he made it 3-0 in the 56th minute with a long-range effort that deflected off Jordan Torunarigha and flew into the net.
Stuttgart were awarded a penalty in the 79th minute after another VAR review, for a foul on substitute Tiago Tomás, but Undav blazed his spot-kick over the bar. It mattered little, as substitute Bilal El Khannouss added a fourth with four minutes remaining, finishing well after some good combination play on the edge of the box.
Watch: Undav misses penalty
Man of the Match: Maximilian Mittelstädt
Mittelstädt produced a complete performance that epitomised Stuttgart's dominance. The left-back scored a nice goal with his long-range strike that effectively killed the contest, and was unlucky not to grab a second when his curling free-kick rattled the crossbar.
Beyond his goal threat, Mittelstädt was a constant outlet on the left flank, combining well with Führich and delivering dangerous crosses throughout. He also made a crucial defensive contribution, heading clear off the line to deny Hamburg a consolation in the second half. The defender's impressive showing earned him the highest Fantasy Manager ranking of any player (476 points).
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Stuttgart 3.23 - Hamburg 0.69
Fastest player: Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer (Hamburg), 34.69 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-0 by Maximilian Mittelstädt (Stuttgart), 2.58 per cent
Most pressed player: Chris Führich (Stuttgart), 19 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart), 2.06
Fantasy Heroes: Maximilian Mittelstädt (Stuttgart, 476 Points), Chris Führich (Stuttgart, 397 Points), Jeff Chabot (Stuttgart, 337 Points)
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