Stuttgart Reach DFB-Pokal Final After Extra-Time Victory Over Freiburg

VfB Stuttgart reached a second straight DFB-Pokal final after a 2-1 extra-time victory over Freiburg, sealed by Tiago Tomas’ 119th-minute winner. Sebastian Hoeness’ team set up a Berlin meeting with 20-time champions Bayern Munich on May 23, extending an impressive scoring streak in the competition and underlining the strength of Stuttgart’s attacking options.

Deniz Undav again played a central role for Stuttgart, scoring the equaliser and almost settling the tie in normal time. The forward’s goal added to an outstanding individual campaign, while Stuttgart’s late surge, led by substitutes Bilal El Khannouss and Badredine Bouanani, finally broke Freiburg’s resistance deep into extra-time.

Freiburg began with confidence and created the first serious chance when Maximilian Eggestein tested Alexander Nubel in the 17th minute. Stuttgart then gifted territory as Angelo Stiller’s loose backpass conceded a corner. From Vincenzo Grifo’s curling delivery, Matthias Ginter won the initial header, and Eggestein reacted quickest to divert the ball over the line.

Stuttgart responded with sustained pressure before the interval. Jamie Leweling dragged one effort wide, while Undav looked set to score until Igor Matanovic blocked on the stretch. The pressure continued after the restart, with Stiller driving into the area and seeing a close-range poke dramatically cleared off the line by Florian Muller.

The hosts thought they were level on 60 minutes when Stiller guided a low shot into the bottom-right corner. However, celebrations stopped after a VAR check showed Ermedin Demirovic in an offside position during the build-up. Ten minutes later, Stuttgart finally struck, as El Khannouss threaded a pass into the box and Undav calmly side-footed past Muller.

Undav almost completed the turnaround with the final kick of normal time but hit his shot straight at Muller from close range. Extra-time brought more Stuttgart pressure, with Chris Fuhrich clipping the post and El Khannouss denied again by the Freiburg goalkeeper. With a penalty shoot-out looming, Tomas met Bouanani’s cross with an instinctive backheel to send Stuttgart through.

Stuttgart’s progress keeps alive hopes of back-to-back DFB-Pokal titles, something last achieved by RB Leipzig in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Hoeness’ side have now scored in 20 successive DFB-Pokal matches, a club record, and have registered 31 goals in 11 cup games since the start of last season, more than any other team in that period.

Undav’s strike took the forward to 37 goal involvements this season, with 24 goals and 13 assists. Since detailed data collection started, only Mario Gomez, who recorded 41 in the 2008-09 campaign for Stuttgart, has managed more in a single season for the club, underlining Undav’s importance in Hoeness’ system.

Extra-time again suited Stuttgart, who have now won seven successive DFB-Pokal ties that extended beyond 90 minutes. The hosts created the better chances across the 120 minutes, registering an expected goals figure of 4.24 from 29 shots, while Freiburg produced an xG of 2.45 from 18 attempts, reflecting Stuttgart’s overall attacking control.

Those numbers highlight why Stuttgart will approach the Bayern Munich final with confidence. A consistent scoring run, strong extra-time record and Undav’s productivity have shaped their cup journey, and the Freiburg win added another resilient performance to a sequence that continues to keep Stuttgart competitive on multiple fronts.