Undav ends wait for first goal of 2026/27 as Stuttgart take control in Slovakia

Deniz Undav finally got off the mark for the campaign as VfB Stuttgart secured a comfortable 3-0 Champions League victory over Bratislava, moving to six points from their opening two matches of the 2026/27 competition.

After edging past Viking in their opening Champions League clash of the term, Stuttgart travelled to Bratislava aiming to continue a strong start. Both sides spent the opening period tentatively, probing for weaknesses, and it was not until the 15th minute that the first real chance arrived. Chris Führich, easily Stuttgart's liveliest player in the first half, delivered a superb cross from the right that found Ramon Hendriks perfectly placed in the centre of the penalty area; however, the Dutchman could only send his free header over the bar.

Over the next 15 minutes VfB continued to control the game, with Undav involved in a scramble inside the box after a teasing Führich free-kick, only for Dominik Takac to make a smart save and keep the scores level. Five minutes later, Undav broke his drought, scoring his first goal of the season and ending a frustrating run in front of goal. Angelo Stiller picked up the ball some 35 yards from goal and picked out Undav in space on the left side of the box, where the striker took a touch and drilled a left-footed shot into the bottom corner to beat Takac.

As a FotMob player snapshot fetched on 14 October 2026 showed, Undav had made five Bundesliga appearances in 2026/27 without a goal or assist, underlining just how welcome his strike was. VfB remained on the front foot heading into half-time, and in the 34th minute fullback Josha Vagnoman nearly added a spectacular strike, only to see his powerful long-range effort crash against the bar.

After the break, Bratislava thought they had found a way back in the 53rd minute when Suleiman Camara finished off a move that began with Takac's long goal kick via Andraz Sporar, but celebrations were short-lived as the flag immediately went up for offside. A lengthy VAR check followed, but officials upheld the original offside call.

With Camara's effort ruled out, Dzenan Pejcinovic had a golden opportunity to double Stuttgart's lead but hesitated and failed to get his shot away, missing the chance for his first Champions League goal. Having lost control against Paderborn on Saturday, VfB were desperate not to see history repeat itself, but Sandro Cruz hammered Fabian Bredlow's crossbar as the hosts kept up the pressure.

Stuttgart regained a foothold in the 65th minute when Vagnoman swung a ball into the centre and, in a cruel twist, Cruz inadvertently turned it beyond his own goalkeeper to double the lead. Jamie Leweling, Ermedin Demirovic, Atakan Karazor, Lorenz Assignon and Bratislava-born Leo Sauer were all introduced late on, though VfB never quite found full comfort.

The decisive moment came in the 90th minute, when Assignon whipped in a superb cross to the back post and Demirovic arrived late to head home, putting the result beyond doubt.

After missing out on Champions League progress two years ago due to dropped points in matches they were expected to win, Stuttgart know just how valuable these three points are. It was not the prettiest performance for large periods, but Sebastian Hoeneß's side left with a clean sheet for the second time in a week, and found the net three times — encouraging signs ahead of the coming trip to Hamburg.