La joie des joueurs de Stuttgart après leur qualification pour la C1. © KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP
VfB Stuttgart has officially clinched its spot in next season’s Champions League, securing fourth place in the Bundesliga after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt this Saturday, May 16.
Thanks to their hard-fought 2-2 draw this Saturday afternoon in Frankfurt, Stuttgart concluded their Bundesliga campaign in fourth position. This pivotal result granted them Germany’s final ticket to the upcoming Champions League, joining Bayern (1st), Dortmund (2nd), and Leipzig (3rd) in Europe’s elite competition.
In a fierce battle for the coveted fourth spot against Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart managed to hold Eintracht Frankfurt to a draw. The team, led by coach Sebastian Hoeness, initially took the lead with goals from Chema Andrès in the 10th minute and Nikolas Nartey just before halftime in the 45th minute plus four. However, Frankfurt leveled the score in the second half through two penalties expertly converted by Jonathan Burkhardt.
With a total of 62 points, the Swabian club successfully outpaced Hoffenheim, who finished with 61 points after a 4-0 defeat to Mönchengladbach, and Bayer Leverkusen, who ended with 59 points following a 1-1 home draw against Hamburg. This marks Stuttgart’s seventh historical qualification for Europe’s premier club competition, encompassing both the Champions League and the former European Cup of Champions.
At the opposite end of the league table, Heidenheim faced relegation to the second division after a 2-0 home loss to Mainz. Similarly, St. Pauli will also drop down, having suffered a 3-1 defeat on their own pitch against Wolfsburg. With 29 points each, both Heidenheim and St. Pauli now prepare for life in the lower tier. Wolfsburg, finishing 16th, will enter a playoff battle against the third-placed team from the second division, which will be either Elversberg, Hannover, or Paderborn.
Meanwhile, Bayern, having already secured their 35th German championship title, delivered a dominant performance, thrashing Cologne 5-1. The Munich giants concluded their Bundesliga season with an impressive tally of 122 goals, with Harry Kane contributing 36 of those in the league (and 59 across all competitions), including a superb hat-trick against Cologne in the 10th, 13th, and 69th minutes.
