In Heidenheim, VfB Stuttgart secures their fourth consecutive competitive win — overcoming the nightmare of last season, when they couldn’t defeat the newly promoted side. While there are still a few hiccups here and there and some players are missing, the team seems unstoppable in December.
If football had a “stepping-up-in-a-crisis” statistic, several VfB players would surely feature. Last season, Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav alternated in scoring; this season, albeit with fewer goals, Ermedin Demirović has stepped in for his striking colleagues, scoring twice in Bremen. And when he isn’t finding the back of the net, Enzo Millot and, yet again, Nick Woltemade step up. Against Union, Woltemade already showed why the club snapped him up on a free transfer from Bremen in the summer. But on the Swabian Jura, he delivered his masterpiece: first assisting Maxi Mittelstädt and Enzo Millot’s goals, then confidently grabbing the ball for a penalty and smashing it into the net with no-nonsense precision. Game sealed, and the penalty scorers’ list shuffled a bit.
The 3–1 victory against Heidenheim was well deserved. VfB had plenty of control and managed to withstand the hosts’ aggressive play without succumbing to emotional lapses themselves. Once again, the team faced an opponent pressing high and defending resolutely at the back. The difference this time, compared to recent matches where VfB often had to chase an early deficit, was that they already had a goal on the scoreboard after Maxi Mittelstädt’s brilliant one-two with Woltemade. And as with Union, they showed they could respond quickly: after Wanner’s equalizer, Millot restored the lead before halftime, and Woltemade extended it in the second half.
No opponent to build you up
Yes, VfB once again failed to keep a clean sheet, but this can currently be overlooked given their rediscovered attacking prowess. The team has scored 11 goals in the past nine days, with contributions from seven different players: Woltemade (3), Millot (2), Karazor, Stiller, Führich, Vagnoman, and Keitel. While the victory against the 16th-placed team may seem like a laborious but necessary win, it’s worth noting how recently the team struggled through games, with results hanging in the balance until the dying moments. Matches like this show progress: VfB avoided becoming a confidence booster for Bochum, Kiel, or Heidenheim and should also be well-prepared to face the higher-placed FC St. Pauli.
With a home win next weekend, the team could secure a European spot going into the winter break — despite injuries to three strikers and the packed schedule of recent weeks. Leweling and Undav are expected to return at the latest by the second half of the season against Augsburg. That game at the Neckarstadion will also present VfB with their next big opportunity: to reach the DFB-Pokal semi-finals for the second time in three years. Of course, there are still issues the team needs to address: unnecessary goals conceded out of nowhere, Alex Nübel’s struggles with long-range shots, Ermedin Demirović’s conversion rate, and vulnerability to crosses. I’m not trying to paint an overly rosy picture after this match. At the same time, 23 points from 14 games remain the second-best tally since the championship-winning 2006/2007 season. Things may not yet be as smooth as last season, but they’re getting there.
Titelbild: © Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images