Deniz Undav puts VfB Stuttgart ahead.
Image: dpa
FC Augsburg cannot prevent Deniz Undav from making it 1:0.
Image: dpa
Frank Onyeka involuntarily set up Stuttgart's opening goal.
Image: dpa
Deniz Undav puts VfB Stuttgart ahead.
Image: dpa
FC Augsburg cannot prevent Deniz Undav from making it 1:0.
Image: dpa
Frank Onyeka involuntarily set up Stuttgart's opening goal.
Image: dpa
Deniz Undav makes the difference. The attacker scores a decisive goal in a hard-fought cup quarter-final. As a result, Stuttgart are through to the next round and Augsburg out.
04.02.2025, 22:55
dpa
Coach Sebastian Hoeness ran onto the pitch as if liberated, hugged each of his players and fired up the fans: Thanks to match-winner Deniz Undav, VfB Stuttgart are the first semi-finalists in the DFB Cup. The German football runners-up defeated FC Augsburg 1:0 (1:0) in a hard-fought match. The other quarter-final matches are scheduled for Wednesday and the end of February, with the ticket for the final in Berlin up for grabs on April 1 or 2.
"At the end of the day, what counts is advancing, and we achieved that today. Fortunately, I scored the goal. I had a lot of careless ball losses, maybe the goal will help my confidence," Undav said on ARD. Augsburg's Marius Wolf said: "It was an open game. We had the chance to win against VfB. We didn't play it out consistently enough."
National striker Undav scored in the 30th minute to put Stuttgart on course in front of 59,000 spectators. Winger Chris Führich then missed the 2:0 with a shot that hit the post. Augsburg, who had gone unbeaten four times in a row, only had a slight advantage in the early stages. They missed out on a place in the semi-finals for the first time since the 2009/10 season.
VfB with problems at first
However, the visitors got into the game well, attacked early and repeatedly disrupted Stuttgart's build-up play. FCA also tried to achieve success with high balls behind the chain. However, these attempts did not put the hosts under any serious pressure.
"Negative scenarios are not on my mind," Hoeness had confirmed in the run-up to the match. However, that did not seem to apply to his team after three consecutive defeats against Mainz (0:2), Paris Saint-Germain (1:4) and Mönchengladbach (1:2) on Saturday. The Bundesliga runners-up, who were missing Josha Vagnoman and Nick Woltemade due to illness, initially found few solutions and looked unsettled.
Labrović in place of Dahmen in the FCA goal
It was only after 25 minutes that Führich took a little more risk - and at least managed to win a corner. It was the starting signal for VfB's strongest phase before the break. Just a short time later, Undav failed to beat Augsburg keeper Nediljko Labrović, who was standing between the posts in place of Finn Dahmen in the 1-1 draw at FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga.
After half an hour, however, even the Croatian was left wanting. After a failed clearance attempt by Frank Onyeka, former FCA goalscorer Ermedin Demirovic claimed the ball and smartly laid it off to his strike partner Undav. The 28-year-old finished effortlessly.
The opening goal did VfB's somewhat strained self-confidence a world of good. Augsburg, on the other hand, rarely managed to break free. After a free-kick from Marius Wolf, VfB keeper Nübel saved Phillip Tietz's header (40'). The hosts continued to have the better chances. Führich's shot was saved by the post (44').
After the break, the hosts controlled the game without really posing a threat. The left side of the attack through Maximilian Mittelstädt and Führich stood out in particular.
However, VfB did not add the second goal and so had to tremble until the final stages. Referee Sascha Stegemann recognized a handball when Tietz scored (56'). Substitute Mert Kömür then forced Nübel into two saves (71st/79th).
