Stuttgart reach DFB-Pokal final after extra-time victory over Freiburg
Stuttgart reach DFB-Pokal final after extra-time victory over Freiburg Stuttgart are through to the final of the DFB-Pokal after a rollercoaster encounter against Freiburg at MHP Arena. It’s the first time they have reached back-to-back DFB-Pokal finals in their rich history. Sebastian Hoeneß’s men will hope for a different outcome than Sunday’s Bundesliga encounter against Bayern in the final.
Similar to yesterday’s tie in Leverkusen, there was a slight delay to the game due to the pre-match pyro show. Stuttgart were the better side in the first ten minutes, although the nerves were visible on a big night for both clubs. That was more visible in the following ten minutes as Tobias Welz dished out four yellow cards.
Jordy Makengo and Nikolas Nartey were the first two to be cautioned for needless challenges before Johan Manzambi and Jamie Leweling followed suit for altercations as Freiburg demanded a penalty-kick. Maximilian Eggestein had the first real chance of the game parried away by Alexander Nübel, and Angelo Stiller was adjudged not to have made a foul before the shot. However, the midfielder did get his goal ten minutes later.
Vincenzo Grifo’s corner-kick was headed by Matthias Ginter before Eggestein’s crucial intervention from close range. In his fifth season at the club, Eggestien finally managed to score in back-to-back games as he also netted the winner against Heidenheim on Sunday. The next couple of chances arrived at the other end for Ermedin Demirović.
However, the Bosnian striker wasn’t able to bring the hosts back in the game. In particular, his rushed volley after Deniz Undav’s acrobatic play was a hasty decision. Stuttgart maintained the pressure before the break as Jamie Leweling nearly found the target with a shot from outside the box, while Florian Müller was well beaten in Freiburg’s goal.