VfB Stuttgart roared out of the traps in 2026, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 in their first Bundesliga clash of the new year. The next big game is just around the corner, with Sebastian Hoeneß’s side rounding off the first half of the campaign against Eintracht Frankfurt at the MHP Arena on Tuesday evening (kick-off 18:30 CET). Needless to say, Hoeneß’s side are determined to deliver another eye-catching performance against the Eagles.
Sebastian Hoeneß: “We know how difficult a task it is”
“I’m expecting a very hard-fought meeting between two teams who want to play attacking football and find solutions going forward,” said Hoeneß, who is looking forward to Tuesday’s encounter. “It has many of the ingredients needed for a big game.”
The Cannstatt lads have momentum on their side as they prepare to play in front of their own supporters for the first time this year. “We want to deliver another bold performance and play with the right attitude, but we also know how difficult a task it’s going to be,” continued the VfB boss, who is wary of the threat posed by free-scoring Frankfurt.
With 26 points from their 16 league matches so far, Eintracht are just three points behind VfB in the standings and currently boast the third-strongest attack in the division – although they have conceded as many as they have scored (33) this term. “Frankfurt have a decent points haul, despite having to play Champions League football this season,” continued Hoeneß, adding that the Eagles are always capable of creating chances and finding the net.
VfB’s opponents have also bolstered their ranks with several new players during the winter transfer window, bringing in attackers Younes Ebnoutalib (SV Elversberg), Arnaud Kalimuendo (Nottingham Forest) and Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab (Hoffenheim II) as well as defender Keita Kosugi (Djurgardens IF).
Personnel: Good news up front
Hoeneß has also had plenty of positive news on the personnel front. Ermedin Demirovic made his comeback from a foot injury against Leverkusen on Saturday evening, with new arrival Jeremy Arévalo making his debut in that match. Justin Diehl and Noah Darvich have returned to team training, but Bilal El Khannouss (Africa Cup of Nations), Tiago Tomás, Lazar Jovanovic, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Luca Jaquez (all recovering from injury) remain sidelined. Ameen Al-Dakhil is also doubtful due to illness.