Goalkeeper of FSV Mainz 05 Robin Zentner (L) defends Jonathan Burkardt of Eintracht Frankfurt during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 9, 2025. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
BERLIN, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- VfB Stuttgart preserved their perfect home record and strengthened their hold on fourth place in the Bundesliga with a 3-2 comeback victory over Augsburg on Sunday.
After a demanding run of seven matches in just over three weeks, Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeness made fresh changes to his lineup, introducing four new players from the side that defeated Feyenoord in midweek.
Augsburg, who had lost their previous three league fixtures, made a bright start and went ahead inside eight minutes. Fabian Rieder capitalised on defensive uncertainty to fire home after Alexander Nubel had twice saved from Anton Kade and Alexis Claude-Maurice. Stuttgart responded swiftly as Maximilian Mittelstadt converted a penalty awarded via VAR for a foul by Keven Schlotterbeck on Dan-Axel Zagadou.
The visitors regained the lead midway through the first half when Han-Noah Massengo dispossessed Atakan Karazor and slotted past Nubel. But Stuttgart levelled again before the interval, with Deniz Undav heading in Bilal El Khannouss's teasing cross in the 39th minute.
The second half offered fewer chances as Stuttgart dominated possession but struggled to break down a compact Augsburg defense. Substitutes Chris Fuhrich and Tiago Tomas lifted the tempo late on, and the hosts were rewarded when Undav struck again with ten minutes remaining, guiding a precise shot past Finn Dahmen to complete the turnaround.
With their fifth home win in as many league matches, Stuttgart continue to impress under Hoeness, maintaining momentum ahead of next weekend's trip to Borussia Dortmund. Augsburg, meanwhile, have now lost four competitive matches in a row.
"We woke up after the 1-1, which makes conceding the second goal even more annoying, the first was far too cheap. We were the better side after the break and showed belief until the end. The spirit in this team is strong," Hoeness said.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Freiburg edged St. Pauli 2-1 to hand the visitors their seventh straight league defeat, Ritsu Doan's moment of brilliance earned Eintracht Frankfurt a 1-0 win in Mainz, and Borussia Monchengladbach beat Cologne 3-1. ■
Players of Eintracht Frankfurt celebrate scoring during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 9, 2025. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
Doan Ritsu (front L) of Eintracht Frankfurt vies with Silvan Widmer (front R) of FSV Mainz 05 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 9, 2025. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
Nathaniel Brown (L) of Eintracht Frankfurt vies with Phillipp Mwene of FSV Mainz 05 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 9, 2025. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
Arthur Theate (L) of Eintracht Frankfurt vies with Paul Nebel of FSV Mainz 05 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 9, 2025. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
Arthur Theate (L) of Eintracht Frankfurt vies with Paul Nebel of FSV Mainz 05 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 9, 2025. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
Doan Ritsu of Eintracht Frankfurt celebrates scoring during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 9, 2025. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
