Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart shared the points after an eight-goal epic for the ages, with all the goals coming in a historic first half.
Union Berlin 4-4 VfB Stuttgart
Goals: 1-0 Ilić 5 ', 2-0 Milk 19 '(Assist: Querfeld), 2-1 Undav 23 '(Assist: Mittelstädt), 2-2 Millot 29 '(Assist: Stiller), 3-2 Querfeld 38 '(assist: milk), 3-3 Chabot 43′ (assist: Stiller), 3-4 Führich 45 '+1 (Assist: Undav), 4-4 Ilic 45 '+6 (Assist: Trimmel)
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei witnessed a Bundesliga spectacle for the ages as Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart played out an extraordinary 4-4 draw. All of the goals came in the opening 45 minutes, with many of them being goal-of-the-season contenders.
Union Berlin and Stuttgart broke the record for most goals in a Bundesliga half. – Imago/Matthias Koch
The home side stormed into an early lead when Andrej Ilić pounced in the 5th minute, followed by Diogo Leite’s header in the 19th minute to make it 2-0. Stuttgart, however, showed remarkable resilience. Deniz Undav pulled one back with a superb strike from distance in the 23rd minute, before Enzo Millot equalised six minutes later with another long-range effort. The goals kept coming in a frenetic first half. Leopold Querfeld restored Union’s lead in the 38th minute with a sensational strike from 34 meters out, a goal-of-the-season contender with an xG of just 0.012.
Führich scored to give Stuttgart the lead for the first time in the match and make it 4-3. – Maja Hitius
Stuttgart weren’t done yet, though. Jeff Chabot equalised in the 43rd minute, before Chris Führich put the visitors ahead in first-half stoppage time. There was still time for more drama as Ilić grabbed his second, levelling the score at 4-4 just before the break. The eight goals scored in the first half set a new record for the most goals in a single Bundesliga half.
The game had seven different goalscorers. – JOHN MACDOUGALL
The second half, in stark contrast, saw no goals despite Stuttgart’s dominance in possession. The visitors controlled 74% of the ball but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a resolute Union defence. Union Berlin’s Benedict Hollerbach came close with a long-range effort, but neither side could find a breakthrough. As the match progressed, both teams seemed to settle for a point, with the intensity dropping significantly compared to the first half.
Millot scored a stunner to make it 2-2. – IMAGO/O.Behrendt
Angelo Stiller emerged as the standout performer in this thrilling encounter. The Stuttgart midfielder showcased his exceptional passing ability, providing two assists and maintaining a remarkable 96% pass accuracy. Stiller’s influence was evident throughout the match, as he consistently created opportunities for his teammates and helped control the tempo of the game. His performance was crucial in Stuttgart’s comeback and their dominance of possession, particularly in the second half.
Union took an early 2-0 lead thanks to two set-pieces. – IMAGO/nordphoto GmbH / Engler
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Union Berlin 1.33 – Stuttgart 1.47
Fastest player: Benedict Hollerbach (Union), 34.13 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-2 by Leopold Querfeld (Union), 1.2 percent
Most pressed player: Chris Lieitrich (Stuttgart), 27 Times under Pressure
Pass efficiency: Chris Lieitrich (Stuttgart), +4.82
Fantasy Heroes: Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart, 396 Points), Jeff Chabot (Stuttgart, 327 Points), Leopold Querfeld (Union, 317 Points)
