VfB Stuttgart delivered a huge statement Friday night, absolutely crushing Cologne 4-1 at home and putting that ugly 5-1 Bayern Munich season opener firmly in the rearview mirror. What a turnaround, man. Stuttgart looked like a completely different squad out there, playing with fire after taking that hefty defeat from the reigning league champions just last week.
El Khannouss Lights the Spark, Prömel Finds His First
This game was locked up for a while, but then Bilal El Khannouss just said, “Nope, not today.” He took everything into his own hands in the 39th minute. We’re talking a full-on charge toward goal, skipping past two defenders, even dropping a cheeky nutmeg on the second guy before sliding the ball into the net. Pure class! Cologne actually brought in young English loan Mikey Moore, and he had an immediate impact, stepping up the pace and making it look like an equalizer was coming. But against the odds, it was Stuttgart who scored again! Maximilian Mittelstädt didn’t let the ball go out, cut it back to the center of the box, and newcomer Grischa Prömel tucked in his first goal for the club in the 60th. You gotta love seeing a fresh face get on the board!
Demirovic Adds to the Pile, Vagnoman Seals the Deal
The momentum was all Stuttgart’s from there. Ermedin Demirovic got in on the action, adding a third goal in the 75th minute after another sick solo effort. Cologne did manage to pull one back in the 81st thanks to Marius Bülter, with an assist from that young loaner, Moore. But Stuttgart wasn’t done showing off. Before the final whistle blew, Josha Vagnoman completed the rout with a stunning first-time shot in the 90th. El Khannouss, who was rightly named Man of the Match, said his goal was “pure instinct.” He nailed it when he said, “It’s not something you can train, it’s the moment. I’m very happy today. I hope it’s the first of many.” What a killer mindset!
This huge win pushes Stuttgart up to seventh in the standings, just one spot ahead of Cologne, who opened their season with a 3-2 win over Hoffenheim. The Bundesliga schedule for Saturday includes Hoffenheim battling Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen facing Union Berlin, and Schalke going up against Bayern Munich. You know all these teams are watching what Stuttgart did tonight. This kind of performance sets a serious tone and shows exactly what this team is capable of going forward. Bring on the rest of the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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