VFB (0 - 0) SGE – 5'
Frankfurt loses possession in midfield after an inaccurate pass, giving Stuttgart the perfect chance to break. Leon is wide open on the right wing, with Vött caught out of position. The second the through ball is played, Leon takes off, sprinting after it.
Vött reacts immediately, exploding into a full-speed chase. His acceleration is rapid, and within seconds, he catches up, closing the gap on Leon as he drives forward with the ball down the flank.
Just as Leon senses Vött closing in behind him, he pulls off a Ronaldo Chop, cutting inside onto his left foot.
Vött tries to adjust but his momentum betrays him—he slips, momentarily losing balance. Now Leon has space and options inside the box. He lifts his head, weighing his decision—shoot or pass? Felix is waiting in the center, but Speidel is completely unmarked on the back post.
Leon opts for a lobbed pass, flicking it with his left foot. The ball is accurate but lacks power, floating toward Speidel. Speidel braces himself, lining up for a header, but before he can react, the goalkeeper reads the situation perfectly, rushing off his line and claiming the ball first.
With possession secured, the keeper takes a moment, allowing his teammates to retreat into position. But Stuttgart isn't letting up—they press high, cutting off passing options and forcing the keeper into a rushed clearance.
With no safe outlet, he launches the ball toward the center of the pitch, where Zarella is waiting on the right side.
Zarella controls it smoothly and plays a simple pass to his center-back partner. The two defenders recycle possession, looking for openings.
Zarella gets the ball back and spots Yigit open in midfield. He plays it in, and Yigit takes one touch before quickly shifting the ball to Matic on the right, just as a Frankfurt player closes in.
Matic collects the pass and immediately finds Leon—but Vött is already on him, marking tight.
Leon remains calm, stepping over the ball casually, scanning for an option. Matic makes an overlapping run, dragging a defender with him, but Leon ignores the pass.
Instead, Yigit makes a smart move into the right-back space, calling for it. Leon slides the pass over, and Yigit receives it cleanly.
He immediately switches play, spotting Schramm on the left side in acres of space.
Schramm drives forward, cutting inside and forcing Abraha into a two-on-one situation against him and the winger waiting wide. Abraha focuses solely on Schramm, allowing him to play a quick give-and-go with his teammate.
Schramm continues his run, collects the return pass, and fires in a low-driven cross—but the defender gets there just in time to block it. The deflection rolls out for a Stuttgart corner.
Stuttgart sets up for the corner, and the ball is swung into the box with an in-swinging delivery. The keeper reacts fast, punching it away.
The clearance lands at Leon's feet, just outside the box. He whips another cross back in—but Frankfurt's defense clears it again.
Stuttgart retains possession, circulating the ball deep in Frankfurt's half, but Frankfurt refuses to budge, holding their defensive shape, absorbing the pressure.
The ball shifts to the left wing, exchanged between the winger and left-back, probing for an opening. But Abraha times his challenge perfectly, intercepting the pass and immediately bursts forward into space, catching Stuttgart off guard.
As Schramm scrambles back into position, Abraha lifts his head and whips a curling lofted pass across the field to the left winger, placing it perfectly onto his right foot.
With an ocean of space ahead of him, the winger explodes forward, charging into the open field.