Slovan Bratislava 0-3 VfB Stuttgart: Stiller sets the terms, Stuttgart close the deal in Bratislava
VfB Stuttgart left Tehelne Pole Stadion on 14 October with the kind of UEFA Champions League away win that travels well: a clean sheet, control, three goals and no panic. Slovan Bratislava 0-3 VfB Stuttgart, and the table now tells the story clearly. S. Hoeneb’s side have six points from two league stage matches, six goals scored, one conceded, and sit 4th in the standings.
In the simplest terms, Stuttgart were better, calmer and sharper. Deniz Undav scored in the 29th minute from Angelo Stiller’s assist, Sandro Cruz’s own goal in the 64th minute pushed the match away from Slovan, and Ermedin Demirović finished it in the 90th minute after Lorenz Assignon’s assist.
For V. Weiss and Slovan, this was another hard lesson at this level. Two games, two defeats, one goal scored, nine conceded and bottom place in the 36-team league table. They competed in spells, found shots, and had moments through T. Barseghyan and Cristian JesĂşs MartĂnez, but Stuttgart turned possession into pressure and pressure into a professional away performance.
The shape of the match
Both teams started in a 4-2-3-1, but the same shape produced very different realities.
Slovan Bratislava, coached by V. Weiss, lined up with D. Takáč in goal; C. Blackman, K. BajriÄŤ, S. Marković and Sandro Cruz across the back four; P. PokornĂ˝ and A. Mustafić in midfield; and T. Barseghyan, Cristian JesĂşs MartĂnez and Suleiman Camara behind A. Ĺ porar.
VfB Stuttgart, coached by S. Hoeneb, started with F. Bredlow in goal; J. Vagnoman, Finn Jeltsch, J. Chabot and R. Hendriks in defence; G. Prömel and A. Stiller as the double pivot; and B. El Khannouss, D. Undav and C. Führich behind D. Pejčinović.
That double pivot mattered. Stiller and Prömel gave Stuttgart a base Slovan never really matched. Stiller, in particular, played the match at his rhythm: 96 passes attempted, 86 accurate, two key passes, and the assist for Undav’s goal in the 29th minute. It was not flashy domination. It was cleaner than that. Stuttgart moved the ball until Slovan’s midfield line shifted, then found the next pass.
Slovan’s plan needed quick exits through Barseghyan, MartĂnez and Camara, with Ĺ porar holding up play when possible. The problem was volume and quality. Slovan had 15 shots, but only one on target. Stuttgart had 16 shots, eight on target. That comparison explains much of the match.
Undav gives Stuttgart the platform
The first half had its bite before it had its breakthrough. Ramon Hendriks was booked in the 12th minute for Stuttgart, then Bilal El Khannouss followed into the book in the 26th minute. Stuttgart had to manage their aggression, especially with Slovan looking to draw fouls and slow the rhythm.
Then came the decisive first cut. Undav scored in the 29th minute, assisted by Stiller. It was the goal that changed the match because it allowed Stuttgart to stop chasing the game state and start managing it.
Undav was central all night. He finished with one goal, four shots, three on target and three key passes. That is not just a scorer’s line. That is a player linking the attacking line, arriving in dangerous zones and repeatedly forcing Slovan to defend facing their own goal.
For Slovan, D. Takáč kept the score respectable for long spells. He made six saves. Without that, the match could have looked uglier much earlier.
The own goal that killed Slovan’s resistance
Slovan were still alive until the 64th minute. Then Sandro Cruz’s own goal made it 0-2.
It was brutal for the home side because Cruz had been part of a back line under constant pressure. Stuttgart had 64% possession, 627 total passes and eight corners. Slovan spent too much time defending their box, too much time recovering positions, and too much time trying to survive the next Stuttgart phase.
Cruz was substituted in the 75th minute, with Kevin Wimmer coming on. At the same time, A. Gajdoš replaced Cristian JesĂşs MartĂnez. It was an attempt to freshen the legs and reset the structure, but Stuttgart already had the match under control.
Hoeneb’s bench closes it out
S. Hoeneb managed the final phase with precision.
Leo Sauer replaced Chris Führich in the 71st minute. Jamie Leweling replaced Dženan Pejčinović in the 71st minute. Atakan Karazor came on for Angelo Stiller in the 80th minute. Ermedin Demirović replaced Bilal El Khannouss in the 81st minute. Lorenz Assignon replaced Josha Vagnoman in the 86th minute.
That last move mattered directly. Assignon assisted Demirović in the 90th minute, four minutes after coming on. Demirović had entered in the 81st minute and still found the goal that gave the scoreline its final weight.
Stuttgart’s bench did not just protect the result. It improved it.
Slovan also emptied their bench in the 81st minute: Roman ÄŚerepkai replaced Tigran Barseghyan, Alasana Yirajang replaced AndraĹľ Ĺ porar, and Nino Marcelli replaced Suleiman Camara. But those changes came with Slovan already two down and chasing a match Stuttgart were no longer offering back.
Discipline and control
The cards told another part of the story.
Ramon Hendriks was booked in the 12th minute. Bilal El Khannouss was booked in the 26th minute. Josha Vagnoman was booked in the 77th minute. Peter PokornĂ˝ was booked in the 85th minute.
Stuttgart had three yellow cards and committed 15 fouls, but they never lost control. That is the important part. Their fouls often stopped Slovan before attacks became something more dangerous. Slovan had 11 fouls and one yellow card, but they were usually the side reacting rather than dictating.
J. Chabot was excellent at the back for Stuttgart. His numbers were clean: 95 passes, 86 accurate, two interceptions, and eight duels won from eight. Finn Jeltsch also gave Stuttgart security, completing 73 of 77 passes. With Bredlow required to make only one save, the defensive structure did its job.
Match statistics
| Statistic | Slovan Bratislava | VfB Stuttgart |
|---|---|---|
| Expected goals | 0.82 | 2.21 |
| Possession | 36% | 64% |
| Total shots | 15 | 16 |
| Shots on goal | 1 | 8 |
| Shots inside box | 7 | 12 |
| Shots outside box | 8 | 4 |
| Accurate passes | 288 | 561 |
| Total passes | 357 | 627 |
| Corners | 1 | 8 |
| Fouls | 11 | 15 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 3 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 6 | 1 |
The numbers confirm the eye test. Slovan shot often enough to suggest ambition, but not well enough to worry Stuttgart. Stuttgart’s superiority was in shot quality, possession control and penalty-area access.
What it means
Stuttgart are now in the top-eight zone, 4th with six points, behind Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona and Aston Villa on goal difference. That matters in this Champions League format. Top-eight pace changes the entire campaign. It reduces pressure, keeps rotation possible, and gives Hoeneb’s squad room to breathe.
It also keeps them in step with the other perfect starters, including Liverpool, who are 5th with six points after two matches.
For Slovan, the picture is harsher. They are 36th, with zero points and a goal difference of -8. V. Weiss has a team that can produce shots and compete in moments, but the gap in precision is punishing. At this level, moments are not enough. Stuttgart had a plan, the players to execute it, and a bench that finished the job. Slovan now need points quickly, not performances with caveats.
