Stuttgart orchestrates a festive display of goal-tallying against Münster
Following a disappointing season opener and a defeat in the Supercup against Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart sought redemption in the initial round of the DFB-Pokal against Preußen Münster. The outcome was clear-cut. Despite valiant efforts from the second division promoted side, Stuttgart emerged victorious with a substantial scoreline.
Three competitive outings, one triumph - Stuttgart managed to steer clear of a disastrous start to their season and advanced comfortably to the second round of the German Cup. Previous setbacks against Bayer Leverkusen (3:4 on penalties in the Supercup) and Freiburg (1:3 in the league opener) were quickly forgotten as Stuttgart clinched a convincing 5:0 victory over winless opponents Münster.
Goals from Angelo Stiller (7th minute), Ermedin Demirovic (15th), Pascal Stenzel (35th), Nick Woltemade (72nd), and Atakan Karazor (80th, penalty) allowed Stuttgart to target further success in this tournament, with dreams of reaching the quarters and semis once again. As for Münster, alas, their journey in the cup was brought to a premature end in the opening round, as it was last year.
Dominance from the get-go
Despite being without El Bilal Touré and Ameen Al-Dakhil, who were yet to join, as well as utilizing 20-year-old recruit Anrie Chase, Stuttgart demonstrated their superiority from the outset. Consecutive mistakes from Münster's goalkeeper Morten Behrens allowed Stiller to open the scoring from a close range, and the relief was palpable among the Stuttgart players.
Eight minutes later, Stiller's cross led to Demirovic's simple header to double the score. The hosts attempted to respond but struggled to maintain a solid defense, leading to yet another carbon copy goal - this time Demirovic supplied the cross, and Stenzel converted the header without a marker in sight.
Münster's attempts fall short
Münster fought back and attempted to close the deficit, but their efforts to hold their own in defense failed. The ever-growing gap between the two teams led to Stenzel's second goal - a well-deserved 4:0 at half-time.
In the second half, Stuttgart relaxed their intensity but never relinquished control. Substitutions allowed several players like Jamie Leweling and Deniz Undav to gain valuable minutes of playing time. The pressure on Münster's goal heightened, with Woltemade netting a stunning debut goal and Karazor also adding his name to the scoresheet.
The DFB Cup victory over Preußen Münster marked Stuttgart's third triumph of the season, providing a much-needed boost after their Supercup loss and league opener defeat. Stiller, Demirovic, Stenzel, Woltemade, and Karazor all contributed goals in Stuttgart's dominant 5-0 performance, indicating a promising future in the tournament. Despite their best efforts, Munster's journey in the cup came to an end in the early rounds once again, mirroring their performance from last season.
