Bundesliga
VfB Stuttgart secured a 1-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 2 thanks to Chema Andrés' late header, with the hosts having to ride their luck at times after an impressive away performance from Gerardo Seoane's men, which ultimately went unrewarded.
VfB Stuttgart 1-0 Borussia MönchengladbachGoals: 1-0 Andrés 79’ (assist: Leweling)
Amidst a celebratory atmosphere at the MHPArena, where Stuttgart fans unfurled a spectacular choreography marking 100 years of their iconic kit with the red chest ring, the home side were keen to get their first points of the new Bundesliga campaign on the board.
After losing in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup and on the opening weekend, Sebastian Hoeneß's men were looking for a result against a Gladbach team struggling with their own winless run, stretching back eight games from the end of last season.
The hosts started brightly with Tiago Tomás setting up Jamie Leweling for a shot that went wide in the opening minute, but their early momentum suffered a significant setback in the 14th minute when Deniz Undav was forced off with an injury after a collision with Shuto Machino during a corner kick.
Chris Führich replaced him and Stuttgart continued to threaten, with Tomás testing Moritz Nicolas just moments after the change. The visitors grew into the game as the half progressed, though, with Lukas Ullrich firing wide from a great position inside the box and Philipp Sander's header requiring a fine save from Alexander Nübel in the 25th minute.
The second half began with Gladbach firmly on the front foot. Their best opportunity came in the shortly before the hour, when a clever backheel from Rocco Reitz played Kevin Stöger through on goal, but the Austrian midfielder blasted his shot over the bar from close range – a glaring miss considering the scarcity of clear chances in the game.
The visitors continued to look dangerous with Franck Honorat proving particularly lively on the flank, while Nübel remained alert to deny Robin Hack's effort on the hour mark. Despite creating the better chances, the Foals couldn't find the breakthrough as Stuttgart's defence, marshalled impressively by Nübel, held firm.
With the match seemingly heading towards a stalemate, Hoeneß's decision to introduce Chema Andrés in the 64th minute proved inspired. The 20-year-old Spaniard made the decisive contribution fifteen minutes later, arriving to meet Leweling's precise cross with a guided header into the bottom corner.
Despite making a quadruple substitution in the 84th minute and pushing hard for an equaliser, Gladbach couldn't find a way through Stuttgart's determined defence in the closing stages, and fell to a narrow defeat at the MHPArena.
While Andrés grabbed the headlines with his match-winning goal, it was Nübel who kept Stuttgart in contention throughout the 90 minutes. The goalkeeper made six crucial saves to deny Gladbach, and was equally impressive on the ball too, helping his side navigate their way out of a press numerous times.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Stuttgart 0.73 - Gladbach 1.37
Fastest player: Franck Honorat (Gladbach), 34.89 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Chema Andrés (Stuttgart), 13 percent
Most pressed player: Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), 29 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart), +3.69
Fantasy Heroes: Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart, 386 Points), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart, 265 Points), Tiago Tomás (Stuttgart, 264 Points)