VfB Stuttgart ended their three-match winless run in the Bundesliga (D2, L1) with a statement 3-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the MHPArena, a result that sees them climb into fourth place and take control of the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.
The game burst into life early, with both sides finding the net inside the opening five minutes. Aleix García gave Leverkusen the lead after finishing off a quick counter-attack set up by Christian Kofane.
Stuttgart, however, responded almost instantly. Ermedin Demirović once again proved decisive, combining neatly with Nikolas Nartey before curling a precise effort into the far corner for his 15th goal in all competitions this season.
The strike also marked his third consecutive game on the scoresheet.
With both teams pushing aggressively in a high-stakes encounter, chances came at both ends. Alexander Nübel was called into action to deny Ibrahim Maza’s volley, while Mark Flekken kept out Chris Führich’s dangerous cross-shot.
Demirović was quickest to react to the rebound, but his effort was superbly blocked by Edmond Tapsoba.
The striker continued to trouble Leverkusen’s back line and eventually earned a penalty just before the break after being fouled by Tapsoba inside the box.
Maximilian Mittelstädt stepped up and calmly converted to complete the turnaround for the hosts.
Stuttgart carried that momentum into the second half and thought they had added a third when Demirović finished from close range after Flekken spilled Deniz Undav’s effort, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Leverkusen attempted to respond, but Flekken again came to their rescue, denying Angelo Stiller and tipping over a header from Jeff Chabot.
Their resistance was finally broken, however, when Undav converted Jamie Leweling’s inviting cross to make it 3-1, scoring his 19th league goal of the campaign—his best Bundesliga return to date.
Despite a late push, Leverkusen lacked cutting edge in the final stages and ultimately fell short, surrendering ground in the Champions League qualification battle heading into the final day.
For Stuttgart, the win not only strengthens their top-four position but also completes a league double over Leverkusen, a significant achievement given their historically poor record in the fixture, with just one win in their previous 29 meetings (D8, L20) before this season.
