On March 16, 2025, VfB Stuttgart suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat against Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the MHPArena, marking another setback for the struggling team. Stuttgart had initially looked promising, with Ermedin Demirovic opening the scoring just 14 minutes in before Nick Woltemade doubled their lead shortly after halftime.
Demirovic's left-footed shot found the back of the net after just 15 minutes, setting the tone for what looked like a potential victory. Woltemade then put Stuttgart firmly on the front foot at the 48th minute, making it 2-0. Fans were ecstatic, as their team controlled the game for nearly 55 minutes, showcasing what head coach Sebastian Hoeneß described as "passionately, courageously, and dynamically" played football.
"It’s hard, it hurts, the outcome of the match is agonising," Hoeneß lamented post-match, reflecting on how his team threw away their hard-earned lead. Their struggles began when Jeremie Frimpong capitalized on Stuttgart’s defensive lapse, scoring at the 56-minute mark to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
The match took another dramatic turn when Granit Xhaka of Leverkusen inadvertently scored an own goal, granting Stuttgart what appeared to be insurance at 3-1 by the 62nd minute. The mishap occurred when his attempt to clear the ball deflected off goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, landing perfectly for Weltauber’s strike. Yet, just moments later, Piero Hincapié, another Leverkusen player, would get the visitors closer, scoring just 11 minutes later to make it 3-2.
Leverkusen refused to back down, and their persistence paid off when Angelo Stiller’s own goal late in the match leveled the score at 3-3. "We defended the set pieces but the ball was deflected... There was bad luck involved, but that's by no means an excuse," stated Stuttgart's sporting director, Fabian Wohlgemuth.
The match reached its climax when, deep in stoppage time, Patrik Schick headed home the winning goal from a precise cross by Frimpong, sealing the comeback victory for Leverkusen. "Perhaps sometimes you need wins like this to show the spirit is still there," reflected Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah after the match.
This win was necessary for Leverkusen, who aimed to reduce the gap with league leaders Bayern Munich to six points. Despite their ups and downs lately, Leverkusen's coach Xabi Alonso has had to adapt tactics, particularly with the absence of star midfielder Florian Wirtz. The dynamic use of physically imposing forwards like Schick and Boniface has become increasingly significant.
For Stuttgart, the loss was their fourth match without victory, leaving them stranded at 10th place. With the current campaign nearing its end, and the club's aspirations to compete for European football still within reach—just five points off sixth place—Hoeneß and his team face mounting pressure to turn things around.
Having excited fans with their early attacking prowess, Stuttgart must now regroup, as the string of adverse results adds to the growing frustration. "There’s no good wallowing in self-pity now; we have to get through this period together and do everything we can to turn it around," Hoeneß added.
Looking forward, Stuttgart's path to realization lies not just within the confines of Bundesliga but also extends to their participation in the DFB Pokal semi-finals, which remains hopeful—this might just be the spark they need.
