Stuttgart booked their spot in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals for the second time in three seasons, edging Augsburg 1-0 on Tuesday thanks to a first-half goal from Deniz Undav.
Undav’s decisive strike made Stuttgart the first team to secure a place in the final four.
After falling to eventual champions Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023-24 quarter-finals, Sebastian Hoeness’ side now have their sights set on reaching the final for the first time since 2013.
Following a heavy 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last week, Stuttgart were in search of a much-needed response.
Although it took them some time to settle into the game, they broke the deadlock in the 30th minute.
Frank Onyeka’s clearance deflected fortuitously off Ermedin Demirovic, who squared the ball perfectly for Undav to slot home.
Chris Fuhrich came close to doubling Stuttgart’s lead just before halftime, but his powerful effort struck the post with Augsburg’s goalkeeper Nediljko Labrovic left stranded.
Augsburg pushed for an equalizer after the break, registering two shots on target through Mert Komur, but Alexander Nubel remained untroubled as Stuttgart held firm to seal the victory.
Holders Bayer Leverkusen face second-tier Cologne in their quarter-final clash on Wednesday, while Arminia Bielefeld take on Werder Bremen and RB Leipzig meet Wolfsburg next week to complete the semi-final lineup.
Despite a less-than-dominant display, Stuttgart are now within touching distance of their first DFB-Pokal title since 1997.
Key to their progress has been the impressive form of Deniz Undav, who notched his 10th goal in 24 appearances across all competitions this season and just his second in the DFB-Pokal.
Manager Sebastian Hoeness also made a bit of club history. By reaching the DFB-Pokal semi-finals for the second time, he became only the second Stuttgart coach to do so since the Bundesliga’s founding in 1963-64, following Joachim Low’s back-to-back runs in 1996-97 and 1997-98.
