One Minute From Penalties. Then This.
Tiago Tomas had been on the pitch for less than 30 minutes as a substitute. The game was deep into extra time. Stuttgart had hit the post. Freiburg had survived everything.
Then Bouanani broke down the right in the 119th minute and whipped it across the face of goal. Tomas moved onto it and — with the outside of his heel — directed it into the far corner.
The MHPArena lost its mind. Freiburg goalkeeper Florian Müller just turned around and stared at the net. Lucas Höler, who had had a goal incorrectly disallowed in extra time, said afterwards it was “extremely bitter.” That is an understatement.
Stuttgart are in the DFB-Pokal final for the second consecutive year. They face Bayern Munich in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 23 May.
Freiburg Struck First
Maximilian Eggestein opened the scoring in the 28th minute and Freiburg looked like they could hold it. For a long time they did.
The first half was scrappy. Four yellow cards before half-time. Stuttgart dominated possession without really threatening. Freiburg defended with organisation and caught Stuttgart on the break a couple of times. Undav hit over the bar early. Chris Führich could not find a way through.
Freiburg’s plan was clear — sit deep, absorb, nick one. Eggestein’s goal did exactly that. He read the situation well, got into the box, and finished cleanly. 1-0 at the break, against the run of play in terms of xG, but Freiburg did not care about that.
El Khannouss Changed the Game
Sebastian Hoeneß sent on Bilal El Khannouss in the second half. That was the turning point.
The Belgian midfielder drove through the middle at pace, covered half the pitch in one burst, and picked out Undav on the right. Undav finished from a half-right position — low, controlled, bottom corner. 1-1. 70th minute. The stadium roared.
After that Stuttgart were the dominant side. Führich hit the post in extra time — agonising. El Khannouss had a Müller save of the highest quality — the Freiburg goalkeeper flung himself to his left and clawed it away. Stiller, who finished with a Sofascore rating of 8.6 — the highest of anyone on the pitch — drove the midfield relentlessly.
Meanwhile Höler came on and thought he had scored in the first minute of extra time. He had nipped in at the far post and the ball went in. Referee Tobias Welz pulled it back. Interference with the goalkeeper — a borderline call that both Julian Schuster and Bastian Schweinsteiger as pundit agreed was wrong. The debate will continue.
Tomas Wins It
With penalties looming, Josha Vagnoman came on for Undav. Bouanani replaced Führich. Hoeneß was setting up for the shootout, bringing on his best penalty takers.
Then Bouanani did not wait for that. One burst down the right in the 119th minute, a sharp cross into the six-yard box, and Tomas met it with a backheel that went into the far corner. He was already pulling his shirt off before it hit the net — the yellow card he received for that seemed completely beside the point.
Stuttgart survived three minutes of added time, Günter going close for Freiburg with a low shot that fizzed just past the post in the 122nd minute. The whistle blew. Bedlam.
What It Means
For Stuttgart, this is a chance at back-to-back DFB-Pokal titles. Sebastian Hoeneß has built a team with real depth and character. Going 1-0 down in a semi-final, generating an xG of 4.24 to Freiburg’s 2.45, and winning in the 119th minute — that is mentality. That is a squad that believes.
For Freiburg, Julian Schuster’s side have had a remarkable season — still competing in the Europa League semi-finals against Braga — but this one will hurt. Being this close, having a goal wrongly ruled out, then conceding a backheel in extra time. Sports can be brutal.
Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich. May 23. Olympiastadion, Berlin. Holders against champions. That is a final worth the wait.
For the latest DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga coverage visit FawaNews football. Official DFB-Pokal schedule and final details at the official DFB website.
VfB Stuttgart 2-1 SC Freiburg (AET) DFB-Pokal Semi-Final | Thursday, 24 April 2026 | MHPArena, Stuttgart Referee: Tobias Welz
Goals: Maximilian Eggestein 28′ (FRE) | Deniz Undav 70′ (STU) | Tiago Tomas 119′ (STU)
Stuttgart XI: Nübel | Hendriks, Chabot, Stiller, Mittelstädt | Karazor | Nartey, Leweling | Führich, Demirovic, Undav Subs used: El Khannouss (for Nartey), Tomas (for Demirovic), Vagnoman (for Undav), Bouanani (for Führich)
Freiburg XI: Florian Müller | Treu, Lienhart, Ginter, Makengo | Beste, Manzambi | Eggestein, Suzuki | Grifo, Matanovic Subs used: Höler (for Beste), Günter (for Makengo), Ogbus (for Matanovic), Kübler (for Treu)
Half-Time: 0-1 | Full-Time: 1-1 | Extra Time: 2-1 Final: Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich | 23 May 2026 | Olympiastadion, Berlin
