Stuttgart Edge Freiburg in Extra Time Thriller to Secure DFB-Pokal Final Spot

Written by Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

, | Updated: April 24, 2026

Bilal El Khannouss celebrates after Stuttgart have scored a goal

Key Takeaways:

VfB Stuttgart secured a 2-1 victory over SC Freiburg after extra time in the DFB-Pokal semi-final last night
Die Schwaben eliminated Die Breisgau-Brasilianer from the cup for the fifth time in six encounters
Stuttgart extended their DFB-Pokal winning streak to 11 matches, earning a final showdown with Bayern Munich

Match Overview

VfB Stuttgart overturned an early deficit to overcome SC Freiburg 2-1 after extra time in a pulsating DFB-Pokal semi-final, guaranteeing their place in the final. The victory marks the fifth occasion in six meetings that Stuttgart have knocked out Freiburg from the cup. It also set a new club record of 11 consecutive DFB-Pokal wins for Die Schwaben.

BERLIN, BERLIN! WIR FAHREN NACH BERLIN!#VfB | #VfB1893 | #Bundesliga | #VfBSCF 2:1 (120.) pic.twitter.com/HzFNmg8eJa
— VfB Stuttgart 1893 (@VfB) April 23, 2026

First Half: Freiburg Strike First

An eventful opening saw four yellow cards shown within a five-minute spell, reflecting the intensity on display. Freiburg’s Maximilian Eggestein appealed strongly for a penalty following a challenge from Angelo Stiller, but his claims were dismissed by the referee.

Undeterred, Freiburg pressed on. After Stuttgart failed to clear a corner effectively, Matthias Ginter directed a header towards the six-yard box, allowing Eggestein to finish from close range past Alexander Nübel. Stuttgart struggled to register a shot on target before the interval, despite efforts from Ermedin Demirović and Jamie Leweling, whose attempts failed to trouble Florian Müller.

Second Half: Momentum Shifts

With a 1-0 lead, Freiburg managed to stifle Stuttgart, who had lost three previous home encounters against Freiburg by an aggregate of 10-0. Chris Führich missed a significant chance when unmarked at the far post, and Müller was finally called into action to prevent an equaliser. Stiller appeared to have scored, but his goal was ruled out due to an offside in the build-up.

Drama unfolded as Yuito Suzuki saw a threatening shot blocked, sparking a swift counter. Bilal El Khannouss teed up Deniz Undav, who drew Stuttgart level with a crisp first-time finish. The hosts nearly took the lead through Undav again, his deflected shot hitting Müller and the woodwork. Führich and Undav both forced strong saves from Müller in stoppage time, taking the contest into extra time – only the second such occasion for Freiburg in their last 13 DFB-Pokal matches.

Extra Time: Late Decisive Blow

Extra time opened with Freiburg’s Lucas Höler finding the net, only to have the goal disallowed due to an earlier foul. At the other end, Führich struck the frame of the goal while Müller made a fine stop from El Khannouss following a clever exchange.

As the match appeared destined for penalties, Stuttgart pressed forward once more. In the dying minutes, Tiago Tomás timed his run to perfection and finished El Khannouss’ low cross, sending the home fans into raptures.

Looking Ahead

Stuttgart’s hard-fought triumph set up a showdown with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the final. On the other hand, Freiburg, who do not have the opportunity to avenge their 2022 DFB-Pokal final defeat, will turn their attention to pursuing silverware in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals.