Red card after brutal kick: Great concern for DFB sweeper clouds Stuttgart's victory

Red card after brutal kick. Great concern for DFB sweeper clouds Stuttgart's victory. 11.05.2025, 21:26

VfB Stuttgart played with a man advantage for more than 80 minutes because FC Augsburg earned an early red card. However, the joy of the decisive victory was mixed with concern for Angelo Stiller. His replacement also limped off the pitch.

VfB Stuttgart has ended its home curse in the Bundesliga, but is worried about Angelo Stiller. Although coach Sebastian Hoeneß's team celebrated their first league home win since January with a 4-0 (1-0) victory against FC Augsburg after six consecutive defeats, an injury to midfield boss Stiller dampened the mood – especially with a view to the cup final on May 24 in Berlin.

The German international had already left the pitch in the 13th minute, limping and in tears, and sat on the bench for the second half with crutches. This followed a challenge with Augsburg striker Samuel Essende, who stepped on Stiller's ankle with an open heel and was shown a red card after a video referee review (12th minute).

"I can't say much yet; we have to assume there's a ligament injury," said coach Sebastian Hoeneß when asked about Stiller on DAZN. They will "do everything" to ensure Stiller can play in the cup final, Hoeneß added: "We'll find out tomorrow whether that's possible." In addition to Stiller, his replacement Yannik Keitel and central defender Finn Jeltsch were also substituted in the first half, but Hoeneß gave the all-clear for both.

Atakan Karazor (8th minute) had given VfB the lead earlier, and Nick Woltemade (51st minute), Enzo Millot (80th minute), and Ermedin Demirovic (87th minute) added to the lead in the second half. "The first half was very tough with the many interruptions. We wanted to bring a bit more pace to the second half, and that worked out well," Woltemade told DAZN. "In the end, you can see our quality."

Stiller's injury slows down the momentum

The match between the mid-table neighbors had no impact on the outcome of the season; that much had already been clear before the match. Nevertheless, VfB was determined to at least end what coach Sebastian Hoeneß called an "unspeakable streak" in front of their own fans in the final home game of the season.

And Stuttgart did indeed get off to a better start. Jamie Leweling's first chance (3') hit the crossbar with a volley on the turn, and Karazor took advantage of the second to take a deserved lead: the captain scored from close range after a rebound.

After Stiller's injury, the momentum was initially lost. Nevertheless, VfB dominated possession and, after about half an hour, began to create more good chances. Augsburg also repeatedly ventured into the attack. That changed in the second half. Thanks in part to Woltemade's early goal, VfB now controlled the game and confidently exploited their numerical advantage. Millot and Demirovic sealed the victory.