- VfB Stuttgart wins the hard-test against Bilbao 4-0
VfB Stuttgart's "Vizemeister" celebrates clear victory to wrap up summer preparations. In their final tough test before the Supercup clash against Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga side secured a 4:0 (2:0) win over Spanish Cup winners Athletic Bilbao, with record signing Deniz Undav coming off the bench as a late substitute. The season opener saw Silas Katompa Mvumpa score a brace (11', 49'), with additional goals from Ermedin Demirovic (14') and Nick Woltemade (79') in front of 50,000 spectators.
Without the Euro participants in the starting lineup, last season's surprise team dominated the game from the start against the disappointing visitors. The hosts stormed out of the gates, leading 2:0 after just 15 minutes.
Silas initially headed in from a corner, assisted by Jeff Chabot. A combination of two new signings then led to the second goal: Justin Diehl crossed, and Demirovic finished from close range. After the break, Silas scored with a solo effort against the Europa League participants, and Woltemade, who joined from Bremen, added another.
Undav's substitution (84') was greeted with loud cheers from the fans. The day before, the Swabians had announced they had finally reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion. Undav played on loan in Stuttgart last season and will continue to play for coach Sebastian Hoeneß's team.
On Saturday, the runners-up of the previous season will face off in the Supercup in Leverkusen. The first round of the DFB-Pokal against SC Preußen Münster will take place on August 27th. The Stuttgart team will begin their Bundesliga season with an away game against SC Freiburg on August 24th.
After securing a dominating performance in their pre-season matches, VfB Stuttgart preparations for the Supercup against Bayer Leverkusen included a test match against European competitors. During this test match, Test matches like this one helped the team gauge their readiness against a strong opponent, with Athletic Bilbao serving as their final challenge before the Supercup.
In light of Undav's successful loan spell last season, his return to Stuttgart for the upcoming Bundesliga season will undoubtedly be a significant boost for the team, contributing to their success in future Test matches.
