VfB Stuttgart claimed a well-deserved 1-0 victory over Juventus at the Allianz Stadium, courtesy of a late strike from El-Bilal Touré. Despite being the better side for most of the match, Stuttgart had to wait until the dying moments to break the deadlock, capitalizing on Juventus’ defensive collapse after Danilo’s red card.
Sebastian Hoeneß’s Stuttgart side put on a masterclass, displaying excellent tactical discipline with their mid-block press and fluid, synchronized movement in attack. Throughout the first half, Stuttgart dominated, firing 12 shots to Juventus’ 2, but were unable to find a way past Mattia Perin, who was in exceptional form between the posts for the home side. Juventus, meanwhile, offered little going forward, their attack often hampered by individualistic play.
The second half started with Stuttgart taking what seemed to be a deserved lead through Deniz Undav, only for VAR to rule out the goal due to an offside in the buildup. Undeterred, Stuttgart continued to press, racking up a total of 18 shots, 8 of which were on target, while Juventus remained largely ineffective in front of goal.
Juventus’ best chance to steal the game came in the 86th minute when Enzo Millot won a penalty. Millot stepped up but failed to convert, with Perin guessing correctly to keep the score level. It was one of several key saves by Perin, whose performance kept the Italians in the match.
However, Juventus’ resilience finally broke after Danilo received two yellow cards in quick succession, leaving his side with 10 men. Stuttgart seized the opportunity, and in the 90th minute, Millot, the man who had missed the penalty, redeemed himself with a brilliant assist to El-Bilal Touré, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, securing Stuttgart’s victory.
