The dream came true

VfB completed a total of 49 matches in all competitions last season. From the first fixture in the DFL Supercup against Bayer Leverkusen to the DFB Cup final at the Olympiastadion, many stories were written – but probably the most beautiful took place in Berlin.

Having reached the semi-finals and the quarter-finals in the previous two seasons, the Cannstatt boys started the new cup campaign with high hopes. VfB were handed a trip to Preußen Münster in the first round and got the job done in convincing style, winning 5-0. Stuttgart also navigated the subsequent two rounds purposefully, beating two more second-tier clubs in Kaiserslautern (2-1) and Jahn Regensburg (3-0). Like the last two years, the ticket for the quarter-finals and a place in the last eight was booked. 

VfB players top rankings

One of the heroes of this cup story is certainly summer signing Nick Woltemade, who netted in each of the first three games and also provided an assist at Regensburg. After missing the quarter-final against Augsburg due to illness, the 23-year-old was back on the scoresheet in the semi-final against RB Leipzig (3-1) as well as the final against Arminia Bielefeld (4-2). With five goals, the VfB forward finished the competition as the top scorer. The tall striker wasn’t the only player who could be relied upon, though.

The established midfield pairing of Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller played the most of VfB’s 540 cup minutes with 474 and 454 respectively. Stiller, who also scored a crucial goal against Leipzig with a long-range strike, had more touches of the ball than anyone else in this season’s cup competition with 483. Another memorable story from that clash with Leipzig was the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, who repeatedly thwarted the Saxony side’s attack.

Team unity the key

But the group as a whole wrote the greatest tale – with their unity as a team, their desire and their attitude in being able to sweep obstacles out of the way. “I’m incredibly proud of the team, of the performance and of what we’ve achieved together,” said head coach Sebastian Hoeneß after the triumph in Berlin, adding: “The fans also deserve credit for the way they carried us; they were unbelievable.”

Throughout the season, this spirit was repeatedly called upon and repeatedly helped the team – the cup victory was VfB’s reward for their belief in a shared goal.