Leweling, Demirovic, and who else? VfB Stuttgart's offensive puzzle

Nick Woltemade is gone, Deniz Undav is out injured, the new players are in, and the international break is over. What's the situation in VfB Stuttgart's attack ahead of the national clash with SC Freiburg?

At the end, there was special praise from the highest level. "Jamie was very active. He always tried things and dared to try, even when not everything worked out. He carried the team along with his enthusiasm," said national coach Julian Nagelsmann after the German national team's 3-1 World Cup qualifier victory against Northern Ireland .

Jamie Leweling was rotated into the team after the 2-0 defeat in Slovakia – and seized his opportunity. The VfB Stuttgart winger played the full 90 minutes, recording an impressive 86 touches, making 56 passes, delivering five crosses, and engaging in seven one-on-one situations (a 71 percent success rate).

He had previously earned the necessary self-confidence for this performance in the Swabian jersey. In the narrow 1-0 home win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Leweling was the most active Stuttgart player, repeatedly posing serious problems for opponent Joe Scally and ultimately assisting Chema Andres's winning goal. After the match, he received special praise – just as he does now with the national team – from VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß. It's safe to assume that Leweling, who mostly played on the left wing against the Foals, will be in the starting lineup for the Baden-Württemberg clash against SC Freiburg (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., live on SWR1 Stadium).

The same applies to center forward Ermedin Demirovic in the center of attack, as Nick Woltemade left VfB for Newcastle shortly before the transfer list closed . The 1.98-meter-tall man was firmly in the starting lineup due to his technical skills, his ability to control the ball, and his passing game – now they'll have to do without him.

Since Deniz Undav injured his knee against Gladbach and will be out for a few more weeks , and sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth and Co. were unable to sign another central striker , "only" Demirovic remains at the top of the list.

On the right wing, new signing Badredine Bouanani (OSC Lille) seems most likely to make his competitive debut for the DFB Cup winners – and start straight away. The 20-year-old impressed in the friendly against Großaspach (6-2) . He not only scored the goal in "Arjen Robben style" to make it 2-0 for VfB Stuttgart, but also set up two more goals with space-opening second-to-last passes.

Coach Hoeneß also praised him. "You could see that he's a very good footballer," said the coach, who also commented on the new signing's playing style: "He makes quick movements and is very difficult to tackle because of his small hooks. He also has strong technique and a good left foot." VfB reportedly spent €20 million on the attacking talent – ​​it will be interesting to see if and how quickly Bouanani repays this investment. He's likely to face his first test in Breisgau.

Tiago Tomas could play behind central striker Demirovic. The Portuguese international moved from Wolfsburg to VfB Stuttgart in the summer, where he already played from winter 2022 to summer 2023. The 23-year-old has settled in well; his goal in the 1-2 defeat at Union Berlin made it into the final selection for the August "Goal of the Month" award on Sportschau, and his backheel before Stuttgart took a 4-3 lead in the DFB Cup match against Eintracht Braunschweig (final score 12-11 after a penalty shootout) delighted millions of fans in front of their TV screens. Tomas also put in a strong performance against Großaspach. His already excellent interplay with Bouanani was striking.

Bilal El Khannouss would also be a suitable starting number 10. VfB fans likely have the highest hopes for the new signing from Leicester City; the 20-year-old Moroccan is considered a huge talent. He will most likely not be in the starting lineup in Freiburg, having just moved to Bad Cannstatt shortly before the deadline and was with the national team during the international break. With Morocco, El Khannouss secured a commanding 5-0 victory against Niger in World Cup qualifying, playing 23 minutes, as well as a 2-0 win against Zambia, in which he was in the starting lineup.

The start to the season for right winger Chris Führich didn't go as planned. While the winger managed an assist for Tomas as a substitute against Berlin, against Gladbach he was first substituted on and then taken off again by VfB coach Hoeneß. He was given the start against Braunschweig in the cup, but didn't take advantage of his opportunity. The 27-year-old proved his willingness to fight for his place with a three-goal win against Großaspach, but the trend is still that Führich will have to wait a bit longer for now.

Lazar Jovanovic, meanwhile, is probably happy to take a back seat at the moment, using substitute appearances to gain a foothold for bigger roles. The 18-year-old Serbian is at home on either wing and has been substituted on twice in the first two Bundesliga matchdays. In addition to his technical skills, Jovanovic brings a youthful sense of abandon. With all the competition, it will be difficult for Noah Darvich to secure a spot at the moment, as Silas and Justin Diehl are currently out injured.

Nevertheless, VfB coach Hoeneß has a wide range of options – which is also important ahead of the upcoming busy weeks. VfB Stuttgart has an exciting attacking puzzle, which in Freiburg is likely to look like this: Demirovic will play centrally in attack, Tomas could act as a sort of hanging striker slightly offset behind the Bosnian, and Leweling (left) and Bouanani (right) will likely provide the momentum on the wings.

Broadcast on Saturday, September 13, 2025, 2:00 PM, Stadium, SWR1

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