Bundesliga
Freiburg secured their first Bundesliga win of the season with a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over VfB Stuttgart, inspired by substitute Igor Matanović's brace on his debut.
Freiburg 3-1 VfB Stuttgart
Goals: 0-1 Demirović 20' (assist: Leweling), 1-1 Matanović 81' (assist: Kübler), 2-1 Scherhant 86', 3-1 Matanović 90'+2 (pen.)
Red cards: Manzambi 90'+8
After back-to-back defeats to start their Bundesliga campaign, Freiburg were determined to avoid losing their first three league games of a season for the first time since 1995. Meanwhile, Stuttgart, who had won four of the previous five Bundesliga meetings between the sides, handed debuts to new arrivals Badredine Bouanani and Bilal El Khannouss as Sebastian Hoeneß's men looked to build on their solid start to the term.
The hosts saw more of the ball in the opening stages, but it was Ermedin Demirović who broke the deadlock in the 20th minute with a moment of brilliance against his former club. The Bosnia and Herzegovina striker controlled Jamie Leweling's cross with his back to goal, shielding the ball from Maximilian Eggestein before backheeling it perfectly into the bottom corner beyond Noah Atubolu's despairing dive.
The visitors grew in confidence after taking the lead, with El Khannouss showing some nice touches on his debut. Jan-Niklas Beste had Freiburg's best chance before the break, but his low shot was well held by Alexander Nübel.
Julian Schuster's men emerged for the second half with renewed purpose, and Lukas Kübler forced Nübel into a sharp save with a volley before Johan Manzambi saw his effort blocked by Angelo Stiller. The hosts continued to push forward, but struggled to create clear-cut chances until Schuster made a match-winning double substitution, bringing on Derry Scherhant and Igor Matanović.
The latter made an immediate impact, side-footing Kübler's cross into the far corner via the post to mark his first Freiburg apppearance with a goal. Just five minutes later, Freiburg completed the turnaround when Scherhant pounced on his own rebound after Nübel had saved his initial shot, netting his own maiden Bundesliga strike for his new club.
The hosts then sealed victory in added time when Matanović confidently converted a penalty after Manzambi had been fouled by Finn Jeltsch, though the late red card for Manzambi for a high boot on Ramon Hendriks was a slight blemish on Freiburg's recovery.
Making his debut for Freiburg after recovering from a muscle injury, 22-year-old Matanović produced one of the most impactful substitute performances of the season so far. The 21-year-old striker needed just three minutes to make his mark, equalising with a composed finish from Kübler's cross. He then showed nerves of steel to convert a stoppage-time penalty, sealing his brace and Freiburg's comeback.
With two goals from an xG of just 0.90, the summer signing demonstrated clinical finishing ability that could prove invaluable for Schuster's side. His 240 Fantasy Manager points, second only to teammate Kübler, further highlighted a dream debut for the Croatian international.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Freiburg 1.72 - Stuttgart 0.68
Fastest player: Patrick Osterhage (Freiburg), 33.79 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Igor Matanović (Freiburg), 13 percent
Most pressed player: Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), 18 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Noah Atubolu (Freiburg), +2.34
Fantasy Heroes: Lukas Kübler (Freiburg, 320 Points), Igor Matanović (Freiburg, 240 Points), Ermedin Demirović (Stuttgart, 225 Points)