Götze Nets Winner as Frankfurt Overcomes 10-Man Stuttgart to Climb to Third in Bundesliga

Eintracht Frankfurt achieved a well-deserved 1-0 victory at home against 10-man VfB Stuttgart, marking only their second Bundesliga double over the Swabians and propelling them to third place in the battle for UEFA Champions League qualification.

The atmosphere at Deutsche Bank Park was electric as both teams made an explosive start, crafting several opportunities in search of the crucial first goal.

Stuttgart had the first significant chances, with Jamie Leweling forcing goalkeeper Kaua Santos into action, followed shortly by Enzo Millot who narrowly missed the near post with a left-footed strike.

After surviving the early onslaught, Dino Toppmoller’s side began to find their rhythm. Ansgar Knauff was thwarted as his goalbound shot was cleared off the line, minutes after Hugo Ekitike had a goal disallowed for offside.

Stuttgart’s Finn Jeltsch nearly found himself in a sticky situation when he unintentionally deflected the ball towards his own net from a corner, but he was saved by Jeff Chabot and Alexander Nubel, who ensured it stayed out.

Failing to secure a goal before the interval, Frankfurt’s standout striker Ekitike was determined to change that in the opening quarter of the second half.

Following a near miss when he curled a shot wide, he came agonisingly close with a low drive that struck the post, with experienced Mario Gotze firing over from the resulting rebound.

Ekitike also played a pivotal role in Stuttgart receiving a red card, as his impressive ball control forced Ameen Al-Dakhil, the last defender, into a foul that resulted in a red card.

Gotze capitalised on the numerical advantage in the 71st minute, scoring his third league goal of the season after Hugo Larsson’s strike hit the woodwork.

Frankfurt managed the closing stages with ease, securing back-to-back wins while extending Stuttgart’s winless streak in the league to six matches (two draws and four losses), leaving them in 10th place in the table.