Bundesliga on Friday
Despite the 911 deficiency: Stuttgart succeeds
Updated on September 19, 2025 – 10:32 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
VfB shoots out of the crisis and prevents St. Pauli’s temporary jump in first place. Even the Swabians cannot be put off by a shot penalty.
Reserve captain Ermedin Demirovic has brought VfB Stuttgart back on track after the start of the season after a disappointing season. The attacker, which was often criticized, paved the reigned 2-0 (1-0) against the previously undefeated FC St. Pauli with a goal and a template to the second win of the season.
After national player Angelo Stiller failed on the strong Nikola Vasilj with a penalty (24th), Demirovic put the superior VfB in the lead in a speed and varied encounter (43.). Shortly after the break, he put on the 2-0 by Bilal El Khannouss (50th). Two more goals from Demirovic were abandoned for offside (4th and 58th).
After the 1: 3 at SC Freiburg, VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß had taken from the starting eleven, among others. And Demirovic, who wore the bandage instead of the coincidence, already gave the direction with his farm goal: the hosts tried to take the lead quickly.
In fact, the fans of VfB cheered again twenty minutes later – but also too early: Stiller shot a penalty fueled by Eric Smith to Tiago Tomás so weak that Vasilj could easily parry. The 29-year-old has now fended off six out of seven penalty jets in the Bundesliga.
Stiller could have rehabilitation shortly afterwards, but failed again from a short distance from Vasilj (29th). At this point, the leadership of VfB was overdue: St. Pauli, which was repeatedly dangerous, was under great pressure.
Demirovic, who was often so critical, then managed the redeeming leadership, he prevailed against half the defense of the guests and also overtujled Vasilj. “The good thing is, it is only 1-0,” said St. Paulis sports director Andreas Bornemann at Sky at half time.
The bad thing: Right after the break, VfB led 2-0 by the EL Khannouss borrowed by Leicester City. In the subsequent wild phase it went back and forth: Louis Oppie only hit the latte (52nd) for the guests, Vasilj prevented Demirovic from 3-0 for VfB (56.), goalkeeper colleague Alexander Nübel parried great against Oladapo Afolayan (71.).