VfB Stuttgart Edges FC Luzern in Close Friendly as Hoeneß Voices Frustration

VfB Stuttgart secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Swiss side FC Luzern in a January 2026 friendly match, despite a commanding 3-0 lead early on. The Bundesliga club opened the scoring swiftly with Nikolas Nartey netting in the 19th or 25th minute (sources vary) and Justin Diehl following shortly after to establish a 2-0 advantage. After halftime, Chris Führich extended the lead to 3-0 in the 67th minute. However, Luzern fought back late, scoring twice through Lars Villiger and Andrej Vasovic to tighten the scoreline.

Coach Sebastian Hoeneß expressed mixed feelings about the performance, praising the team’s play for the first 70 minutes but showing clear frustration over the final 20 minutes when the defense faltered. "That can’t be," Hoeneß remarked regarding conceding two late goals, emphasizing the importance of avoiding letting opponents score off every ball loss.

New signing Jeremy Arévalo, acquired from Racing Santander for 7 million euros, made his starting debut on the right wing but had a quiet game, with Hoeneß noting it was normal for a new player to need time to adapt. Additionally, Ermedin Demirovic returned to action after a three-month injury layoff but did not make a scoring impact.

The win marks VfB Stuttgart’s final test before returning to Bundesliga competition with a crucial match against Bayer Leverkusen looming. Players were given a day off after the friendly to recuperate and prepare for the upcoming league challenge.