Deniz Undav strike seals Stuttgart's place in DFB‑Pokal quarters after Bochum collapse

Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness admitted that the contest looked like it might be a mis-step: "We quickly realised in the early stages that it could be an uncomfortable and hard match," he said. "In the end it didn't quite turn out that way because of a fortunate turn of events for us."

That "fortunate turn of events" came in the form of a disastrous first half for Bochum. In just the 12th minute, defender Philipp Strompf inadvertently turned a Stuttgart long throw into his own net to gift the visitors an early lead.

Then, just before half-time, Strompf received a red card for a foul, a decision confirmed after a Video Assistant Referee review.

With the numerical advantage, Stuttgart opened the second half in ruthless fashion. Just two minutes after the restart, striker Deniz Undav rose to head home a precise cross from Jamie Leweling to make it 2-0 and effectively end any hope of a Bochum fight-back.

Undav, reflecting on the match, stressed the importance of the early lead. "The opening goal helped us, the early lead was what we wanted," he said. "We also scored the second goal at a good time and that set the course for the win. There are things we can still improve, but in the Cup it's about getting through - which we did."

On the Bochum side, coach Uwe Rosler acknowledged the defeat but praised his team's discipline. With ten men after the red card, Bochum had defended in a back five and tried to stay compact, but ultimately they could not make the breakthrough. "Congratulations to Stuttgart on going through," he said, adding that despite the early setback his players had shown commendable commitment.

For Stuttgart, the result keeps alive their campaign to defend the Cup, and with confidence high after a polished and effective performance under pressure, they now look ahead to the quarter-finals.

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