vfb stuttgart vs köln: lineups, lead and key changes
Brought early pressure, a Stuttgart lead and a Köln side missing Said El Mala and Chuba Dallinga. The live coverage also showed how the home side struck twice…
vfb stuttgart vs köln turned quickly in Stuttgart’s favor, with the home side taking the lead through Bilal El Khannouss before Grischa Prömel doubled the advantage in the live BBC coverage from the Bundesliga match. Köln arrived without Said El Mala and Chuba Dallinga, a change that shaped the visitors’ attacking options from the start.
The result mattered for both clubs. Stuttgart were trying to steady themselves after the 5-1 defeat at Bayern, while Köln came in off an opening 3-2 win over TSG Hoffenheim and wanted to keep that start rolling. Instead, the game became a test of efficiency. Stuttgart took their moments. Köln chased theirs.
Stuttgart’s response after Bayern loss
According to Yahoo Sports, Sebastian Hoeneß kept Dženan Pejčinović up front for Stuttgart, with El Khannouss and Chris Führich in the starting side for the first time this season. Stuttgart’s lineup was Bredlow; Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstädt; Prömel, Stiller; El Khannouss, Undav ©, Führich; Pejcinovic. The setup showed a team looking for control after a bruising opening weekend.
That was clear in the live feed. BBC Sport reported that Stuttgart went ahead after “a brilliant solo effort from El Khannouss,” then Prömel made it 2-0 against the run of play. The second goal carried real weight. Köln had started to settle, but Stuttgart punished a loose spell and made the scoreline harder to chase.
There was also no shortage of movement in attack. BBC Sport noted that Köln’s persistence with playing out from the back almost cost them dearly when Marvin Schwäbe failed to get enough on a pass into his back line. Dženan Pejčinović was denied, but Stuttgart kept pressing and kept finding space at key moments.
Köln’s missing names and missed chances
Köln’s lineup, as listed by Yahoo Sports, was Schwäbe ©; Castro-Montes, Simpson-Pusey, Lochoshvili, Mensah; Krauß; Johannesson, Okon-Engstler; Thielmann, Maina; Ache. Linton Maina replaced Said El Mala in Köln’s only change from the previous league match, while Mikey Moore was listed as a possible threat from the bench.
That mattered because Köln did create danger. BBC Sport reported that Mikey Moore tested Fabian Bredlow twice, first with a curling effort and then with a shot across goal after Köln broke on the counter. Both times, Bredlow kept Stuttgart ahead. So the visitors were not passive. They just kept running into a goalkeeper and a defense that absorbed pressure at the right moments.
BBC’s live report also said Ellyes Skhiri came close with an immediate impact after coming on, only for his effort from close range to be stopped. The game stayed alive, but the chances were getting fewer. Stuttgart had already done the damage, and the home crowd had plenty to react to as the match moved deeper into the second half.
One detail stood out: Köln’s resistance was built on persistence, but Stuttgart’s finishing made the difference. That gap was the story of the night, and the live coverage made it plain long before the final whistle.
