In a historic Bundesliga match, Union Berlin and Stuttgart combined for eight goals in a single half, marking a first in the league's history. The match took place as Stuttgart aims for a cup final and potential European qualification, while Union Berlin entered the game as the in-form team.
Union's coach, Steffen Baumgart, made two changes to the lineup following a draw against Leverkusen, promoting Tom Rothe and Benedict Hollerbach to the starting XI. Stuttgart's coach, Sebastian Hoeneß, also made two changes, bringing back Enzo Millot and Deniz Undav, the latter starting for the first time due to Nick Woltemade’s suspension.
The match was significant for Union, marking their 200th Bundesliga appearance. The hosts opened the scoring in the fourth minute with Andrej Ilić finding the net, followed by Danilo Doekhi scoring from a corner delivered by Christopher Trimmel. Trimmel, who recently extended his contract, showcased his value with two assists.
Stuttgart responded quickly, with Ermedin Demirovic missing an open goal opportunity. However, Union doubled their lead shortly after through Diogo Leite, who scored from another set-piece. Stuttgart managed to reduce the deficit when Undav scored with a powerful shot, and soon after, Millot equalized with a curling long-range effort.
Union regained the lead with a remarkable goal from Leopold Querfeld, who struck from 35 meters out. Despite a superb save from Union's goalkeeper, Frederik Rönnow, Stuttgart leveled the match again with a goal from Jeff Chabot. In injury time, Stuttgart took their first lead of the game through Chris Führich, only for Ilić to equalize once more in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Remarkably, despite the eight goals scored, both teams had an expected goals (xG) statistic of below 1. Querfeld's goal set a new Bundesliga xG record with a conversion probability of just 1.2%. The second half saw a shift in momentum, with both teams struggling to create scoring opportunities.
Union's performance secured their safety in the league for the upcoming season, while Stuttgart remained in the bottom half of the standings but still retained hopes for European competition through the Pokal final against Arminia Bielefeld next month.
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