At the reigning Champions League champion’s home, VfB Stuttgart performed at eye level for a long time but ultimately had to concede to the opponent’s quality. However, fans and the team made their return to the international stage a celebration.
We’ve heard it far too often over the past few years: Good performance, made life difficult for the opponent, if only we had taken our chances, but we can build on this performance. Usually, this follows games against top German teams. But against the Champions League titleholder, these are not just empty words; they’re almost a badge of honor. VfB is back and turned the match at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu almost into a home game. In the stands, the fiery red away end stood out, but also elsewhere in the stadium, as seen during Deniz Undav’s celebrated equalizer. On the pitch, too, the team in the jersey with the red stripe showed what they’re capable of, though they didn’t just fall short against the opponent but also a bit due to their own missed chances.
But that’s how it is against Real Madrid. If you aren’t extremely efficient, sooner or later a goal will come for the Madrilenians. Kylian Mbappé capitalized on the wide-open spaces Stuttgart allowed right after the restart for the lead, and Toni Rüdiger essentially sealed the match with a powerful header. By the time Endrick scored the late 3–1, it was almost incidental. But just as you shouldn’t begrudge a player, who left VfB nine years ago without a grand farewell, for celebrating against one of his former clubs, neither should VfB fans be too upset about the loss in the first of eight Champions League matches.
Not just there to participate
Because VfB didn’t just show up at the Bernabéu to be part of the occasion; they played their usual game to the extent possible against such a dangerous opponent. Can’t do anything against some of Real’s dribbles? Well, at times, Real couldn’t cope with VfB’s offense either, except for Thibaut Courtois, who was named Man of the Match for good reason. Enzo Millot displayed his blossoming class on the ball. Jamie Leweling, who scored against VfB for Fürth three years ago, was a constant threat up front and set up the first Champions League goal in a VfB jersey in over 14 years. Even Anrie Chase, rewarded with a substitution for his recent strong performances, had a solid game.
And then there’s Deniz Undav. He was busy for a long time but as unlucky as his teammates in front of goal, before he tapped in a cross from Jamie Leweling into the far corner, wrong-footing the goalkeeper. His performance allowed Sebastian Hoeneß to rest the in-form Ermedin Demirovic, who scored twice on Saturday, for the upcoming Dortmund match, even though Demirovic couldn’t influence the game much after being subbed on. VfB even survived an Oscar-worthy acting performance from Antonio Rüdiger and a dangerous giveaway by Angelo Stiller in their own box, thanks to committed collective defending, which at times even led to counterattacks.
Like we were never away
That’s another cliché, but we can be proud of this team, this performance, and this appearance on Europe’s biggest stage. This match — and of course, those to follow — are what we earned after last season and after countless disappointing games in the past decade. VfB is back, and for the older among us, it feels like they never left. The magic that glued me to the TV on October 1, 2003, is the same as in 2007 at Nou Camp or again on Tuesday evening. The last time I was probably this nervous was during the relegation playoffs, both before and during the match, even though this was just the first of eight Champions League games, and there was relatively little at stake. But imagine if we had managed to get a point!
One key takeaway, perhaps the most important one, from this game: VfB did not get completely overrun at the end or in between, like they did in Leverkusen or Freiburg. Of course, this was a special occasion, so everyone was extra focused, but it was also a much higher quality game than your average Bundesliga match. Deniz Undav signaled to his teammates during his substitution to stay sharp and keep their heads in the game. For the most part, they succeeded, which gives hope that the team not only gained experience from this match, as Sebastian Hoeneß emphasized, but also confidence and development for the upcoming games.
Now, with Dortmund and Wolfsburg coming up, it’s not exactly a complete change of pace, but with BVB, we’ll be facing the other Champions League finalist. This night at the Bernabéu will be remembered for a long time. Now it’s about continuing the story of this season successfully.
Picture: © Angel Martinez/Getty Images