Ermedin Demirović's stunning late strike seals victory for VfB Stuttgart against Freiburg
Ermedin Demirović scored a spectacular 90th-minute winner as VfB Stuttgart continued their impressive form with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Freiburg at the MHP Arena.
Stuttgart 1-0 FreiburgGoals: 1-0 Demirović 90’ (assist: Undav)
Stuttgart welcomed Freiburg to the MHP Arena for this Baden-Württemberg derby with both sides enjoying strong runs of form. The hosts entered the match in a confident mood, having collected ten points from their opening four Bundesliga fixtures of 2026 as they push for the top four.
Both teams were in midweek Europa League action, with Stuttgart edging past Young Boys late on, while Freiburg qualified directly for the round of 16 despite a defeat in Lille.
Stuttgart dominate but Atubolu stands firm
The opening 45 minutes were largely controlled by the home side, who quickly established their dominance with nearly two-thirds of possession. Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu was kept honest throughout, making a big save 20 minutes in to thwart Josha Vagnoman's close-range header from an Angelo Stiller corner.
Deniz Undav found himself heavily involved throughout, creating and squandering several golden opportunities. The Stuttgart striker was denied by a combination of Atubolu's reflexes and Matthias Ginter's goal-line clearance in the 28th minute. Undav continued to be frustrated, dragging wide when clean through on goal in the 32nd minute after pouncing on a loose Atubolu pass, before seeing two more efforts saved in quick succession.
Against the run of play, Freiburg nearly snatched the lead just before half-time when Derry Scherhant fired narrowly wide after a neat combination with Igor Matanović.
Late drama decides tight contest
The second half began with increased Freiburg threat as Yuito Suzuki broke through on goal only to be denied by a brilliant recovery challenge from Finn Jeltsch, who had himself made the mistake that created the chance.
The hosts responded when Bilal El Khannouss forced another fine save from Atubolu in the 51st minute.
As the match appeared to be heading for a stalemate, Demirović produced a moment of magic in the 90th minute. The Bosnian striker collected Undav's pass on the edge of the box and unleashed an unstoppable right-footed drive that flew into the top corner at 93.56 km/h.
Freiburg then nearly snatched an equaliser through Bruno Ogbus two minutes later, but Alexander Nübel made a crucial save to preserve Stuttgart's victory and move them up to fourth in the table.
Man of the Match: Noah Atubolu
Despite finishing on the losing side, Noah Atubolu delivered a masterclass in goalkeeping that nearly earned Freiburg an unlikely point. The 25-year-old made seven crucial saves throughout the match, including spectacular stops to deny Vagnoman, Undav, and El Khannouss. His positioning and reflexes were impeccable, repeatedly frustrating Stuttgart's attackers and keeping the hosts at bay for 90 minutes, until Demirović's unstoppable strike from distance finally beat him.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Stuttgart 2.18 - Freiburg 0.7
Fastest player: Ramon Hendriks (Stuttgart), 35.05 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Ermedin Demirović (Stuttgart), 5.36 per cent
Most pressed player: Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart), 29 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Chris Führich (Stuttgart), +2.61
Fantasy Heroes: Jeff Chabot (VfB Stuttgart, 244 Points), Josha Vagnoman (VfB Stuttgart, 213 Points), Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart, 204 Points)
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