Bundesliga
Jamie Leweling starred for VfB Stuttgart, assisting twice and also finding the back of the net himself with a spectacular long-range strike as Sebastian Hoeneß’s side beat Werder Bremen 4-0, bringing an end to the hosts' four-game unbeaten streak at the Weserstadion in the process.
Werder Bremen 0-4 VfB StuttgartGoals: 0-1 El Khannouss 40’ (assist: Leweling), 0-2 Leweling 44’, 0-3 Undav 79’ (assist: Leweling), 0-4 Führich 90’+7 (assist: Mittelstädt)
Red card: Coulibaly 59'
Bremen and Stuttgart entered this fixture looking to end three-match winless runs in the Bundesliga. The hosts had made the Weserstadion something of a fortress, though, collecting 11 of their 16 points at home.
Stuttgart, meanwhile, were looking to bounce back from their heaviest defeat under Hoeneß – a 5-0 loss to Bayern Munich. History suggested goals were guaranteed, with no goalless draws in 56 previous Bundesliga meetings in Bremen.
Justin Njinmah returned to the starting line-up after his goalscoring exploits against Hamburg, and it was the Bremen forward who sparked early danger, firing narrowly wide in the third minute before forcing two saves from Alexander Nübel in quick succession. However, Stuttgart weathered this early pressure and nearly took the lead when Deniz Undav chipped Mio Backhaus, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.
The visitors eventually broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time when Leweling delivered a pinpoint cross for Bilal El Khannouss to head home. Moments later, Leweling himself doubled Stuttgart's advantage with a spectacular long-range effort that swerved in the air beyond Backhaus.
Any hopes of a Bremen comeback suffered a double blow early in the second half. First, captain Marco Friedl was forced off with a shoulder injury in the 57th minute. Just two minutes later, disaster struck when Karim Coulibaly received a second yellow card for a challenge on Atakan Karazor.
Stuttgart ruthlessly exploited their numerical advantage, controlling possession and creating numerous chances. Leweling continued his masterclass in the 79th minute, setting up Undav for a clinical finish to make it 3-0.
The rout was completed deep into stoppage time when substitute Chris Führich fired home from inside the area after good work from Maximilian Mittelstädt.
Leweling delivered a performance of the highest quality, directly contributing to three of Stuttgart's four goals. His explosive pace and precise delivery created the opener for El Khannouss before he produced a moment of individual brilliance with a stunning 32-metre strike that flew past Backhaus.
The Germany winger continued to torment Bremen's defence in the second half, providing the assist for Undav's goal to seal the result. Leweling's combination of goal threat and creativity proved too much for Bremen to handle, with his display earning him the Man of the Match award with 367 Fantasy points.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Bremen 0.68 - Stuttgart 2.05
Fastest player: Josha Vagnoman (Stuttgart), 35.4 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-2 by Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), 1.6 percent
Most pressed player: Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart), 22 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Jeff Chabot (Stuttgart), +3.46
Fantasy Heroes: Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart, 367 Points), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart, 326 Points), Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart, 308 Points)