VfB Stuttgart Faces First Pre-Season Defeat in Final Test Against Fulham

VfB Stuttgart suffered their first pre-season defeat this summer after a 0-1 loss to FC Fulham on August 15 at Craven Cottage in London. The decisive goal came from Fulham’s Timothy Castagne in the 67th minute. Stuttgart’s coach, Sebastian Hoeneß, commented on the team’s struggles, highlighting issues particularly with ball possession and defensive lapses. He stated, "We had problems in the game without the ball and were also sloppy with our own possession," while acknowledging the matches helped reveal areas needing improvement.

Earlier on the same day, Stuttgart had a private test match against Fulham, where they secured a 2-0 victory. New signing Dzenan Pejcinovic made an immediate impact by scoring on his debut, alongside Chema Andres who also found the net. Pejcinovic, recently acquired from VfL Wolfsburg, is expected to strengthen Stuttgart’s offensive lineup alongside Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic.

Prior to these matches, Stuttgart had a strong pre-season with wins against lower-league teams Balingen, Hollenbach, and Offenbach, as well as a draw against FC Paris and a victory over FC Everton. Goalkeepers Fabian Bredlow for Stuttgart and Bernd Leno for Fulham both delivered notable performances in the tests.

Looking ahead, Stuttgart is focusing on their upcoming DFB-Pokal match against Hansa Rostock scheduled for Friday, followed by a Bundesliga opener against FC Bayern Munich on August 28. The recent performances have provided critical insights for Hoeneß and his squad as they fine-tune ahead of the competitive season.