DFB-Pokal: Stuttgart’s Title Defence is Still Up and Running

VfB Stuttgart vs SC Freiburg

VfB Stuttgart are two steps away from successfully defending their DFB-Pokal title. Die Schwaben are in the semi-finals and will host SC Freiburg at the MHPArena on Thursday. The winner of this tie will take on the winner between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in the final round.

Sebastian Hoeneß’ men need a pick-me-up, given their inconsistent run of results (across all competitions). Since beating Holstein Kiel in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals last February, VfB Stuttgart exited the Europa League Round of 16 after losing to Porto, and they dropped to fourth in the Bundesliga table with 56 points.

Meanwhile, SC Freiburg, who barely defeated Hertha Berlin in the previous round of the cup, are through to the Europa League semi-finals after eliminating Celta Vigo in the quarter-finals. Julian Schuster’s side recently improved to seventh place with their unbeaten run.

 

Talking Points

Undav has fresh legs for VfB Stuttgart

VfB Stuttgart suffered a 4-2 loss against Bayern Munich last time out, which is actually a commendable result for a team without its top scorer. Die Schwaben were without Deniz Undav, who has 18 league goals, as the German striker served his suspension due to yellow cards. 

Chris Fuhrich actually drew first blood for VfB Stuttgart before Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson, and Alphonso Davies unleashed a three-goal barrage before halftime. Harry Kane scored Die Bayern’s fourth and final goal, before Chema Andres came off the bench and added a late consolation goal.

Against Bayern Munich, head coach Sebastian Hoeneß went with Tiago Tomas as the No. 9 in place of Undav alongside Jamie Lewelling, Chris Fuhrich, and Bilal El Khannouss in the final third. Undav, who recharged his batteries last weekend, should replace Tomas in the starting XI.

Moreover, VfB Stuttgart are expected to make changes at the back, as Finn Jeltsch is unavailable against SC Freiburg due to an abdominal injury he sustained against Bayern Munich. Losing him is a blow for Die Schwaben, as the 19-year-old defender has been one of the team’s most used players this season, with 35 appearances across all competitions.

 

Grifo continues to dish for SC Freiburg

Vincenzo Grifo was named Man of the Match in SC Freiburg’s 2-1 win over Heidenheim, as the 33-year-old winger assisted both of his side’s goals last Sunday, teeing up Johan Manzambi’s opener in the 24th minute and Maximilian Eggestein’s winner in the 83rd. 

Grifo also logged a season-high four chances and three defensive contributions in the victory. He now has 10 goal contributions in the Bundesliga this term. With that said, he’s expected to play a pivotal role in SC Freiburg’s bid to end their trophy drought.

VfB Stuttgart would also have to worry about Igor Matanovic, who is the Black Forest’s top scorer with eight goals this term. The Croatian striker remains a dangerous customer, even if he has only scored one goal in his last five appearances.

 

History

Thursday marks the third encounter between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg. The Black Forest won 3-1 last September, before Die Schwaben secured a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture last February. The hosts have won each of their last four meetings. In the DFB-Pokal, VfB Stuttgart have eliminated SC Freiburg in four of their last five encounters, including the 2013 semi-finals.

VfB Stuttgart are among the winningest teams in DFB-Pokal history with four trophies, including last year, which broke their 28-year drought. In stark contrast, SC Freiburg have never won the DFB-Pokal, finishing as the runners-up only once in 2022.

In terms of recent form, VfB Stuttgart have now alternated between wins and losses in each of their last seven outings (W3, L4), while SC Freiburg are on a four-game winning streak across all competitions. 

 

Betting Tip

The DFB-Pokal 2026 odds have the defending champions coming out of this semi-final clash. VfB Stuttgart are 1.63 favourites to win on Thursday at home, while SC Freiburg are 4.54 underdogs, and a draw after 90 minutes is pegged at 3.75 in the 1X2 market.

Their past league meeting was a low-scoring affair, but SBOTOP football fans should expect the opposite on Thursday, as both are keen to create new DFB-Pokal 2026 highlights. Besides rooting for VfB Stuttgart to win, punters could add Over 2.50 at 1.68, Over 2.75 at 1.87, Over 3.00 at 2.13, and even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.83 to the parlay.  However, if you don’t agree and anticipate another low-scoring game, check out the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of VfB Stuttgart, as it is on offer at 7.70 your bet.

   

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