VfB Stuttgart survive late against SC Paderborn 07

“Fight mode” was the message from Sebastian Hoeneß before VfB Stuttgart finally found a way through. His side beat SC Paderborn 07 1-0 in the DFB-Pokal second round, but only after Deniz Undav settled the tie in the 90+1 minute. The goal came in front of 14,846 spectators and sent Stuttgart into the round of 16.

Hoeneß's demand before kickoff

Hoeneß had asked for “more hunger and determination to bring things to an end”. It was a fair demand given how long Stuttgart needed to break Paderborn down. The favourites had the extra man for most of the night after Laurin Curda saw straight red in the 37th minute, yet the game still drifted deep into stoppage time before Undav finished it.

Undav was Stuttgart’s best performer on the night. He scored the only goal, played the full 92 minutes and posted an 8.2 rating. That is the sort of late intervention Stuttgart needed after a flat spell that left them waiting well beyond the red card for a breakthrough.

Paderborn made Stuttgart work

Paderborn’s dismissal changed the match, but it did not make the rest of the evening easy for Stuttgart. The visitors held out until the 90+1 minute, which says as much about their resistance as it does about Stuttgart’s frustration.

The cup win should not be dressed up as a free pass. Stuttgart got the result they needed, and Hoeneß got the response he wanted, but the manner of it was tight all the way to the end. Their next match is away at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday at 15.30.