For the first time in their storied history, VfB Stuttgart have reached back-to-back DFB-Pokal finals. In a night defined by grit, disallowed goals, and a touch of Portuguese magic, the holders overcame SC Freiburg 2-1 after extra time at a raucous MHP Arena on April 23, 2026.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 😍<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/VfB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#VfB</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/VfB1893?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#VfB1893</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/DFBPokal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#DFBPokal</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/VfBSCF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#VfBSCF</a> <a href=”https://t.co/EEme7sMaQB”>pic.twitter.com/EEme7sMaQB</a></p>— VfB Stuttgart 1893 (@VfB) <a href=”https://twitter.com/VfB/status/2047433824540168240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The visitors from Freiburg threatened to spoil the party early on when Maximilian Eggestein silenced the home crowd in the 28th minute, heading home a Matthias Ginter flick-on to give Freiburg a 1-0 lead.
Stuttgart emerged for the second half with renewed intensity. After Angelo Stiller saw an equalizer cruelly ruled out for offside, the pressure finally told in the 70th minute. Deniz Undav, continuing his scintillating season, fired home his 24th goal in all competitions following a precise assist from substitute Bilal El Khannouss.
As the match pushed into extra time, both sides traded blows. Freiburg’s Lucas Höler had a goal chalked off for a foul, while Stuttgart’s Chris Führich rattled the woodwork. Just as penalties seemed inevitable, Tiago Tomás provided the “Champagne moment” in the 119th minute. Meeting a cross from Badredine Bouanani, Tomás executed a stunning, improvised backheel finish to send the MHP Arena into delirium.
The Road to Berlin: Final Date Confirmed
Stuttgart’s victory sets up a heavyweight clash in the capital. They will face Bayern Munich at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on May 23, 2026. Having lost 4-2 to Bayern in the league just days prior, the final offers Sebastian Hoeneß’s men a chance for both revenge and a successful title defense.
