The joy of Stuttgart players after their qualification for the Champions League.
VfB Stuttgart has successfully secured its coveted place in next season’s Champions League, finishing fourth in the Bundesliga standings after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt this Saturday, May 16.
With their crucial away draw in Frankfurt, Stuttgart sealed the final German ticket for Europe’s premier club competition. They join an elite group comprising champions Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig, all of whom had already confirmed their participation.
The battle for fourth place was intense, with Stuttgart fending off challenges from Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen. Despite taking a lead with goals from Chema Andrès in the 10th minute and Nikolas Nartey just before halftime in the 45th+4 minute, VfB Stuttgart saw their advantage evaporate in the second half as Jonathan Burkhardt converted two penalties for Eintracht Frankfurt, leveling the score.
Amassing 62 points, the Swabian club edged out Hoffenheim, who finished with 61 points after a 4-0 loss to Mönchengladbach, and Bayer Leverkusen, who ended their campaign with 59 points following a 1-1 home draw against Hamburg. This marks Stuttgart’s seventh qualification for the Champions League (including its previous iteration, the European Cup).
At the other end of the Bundesliga table, the relegation battle concluded with Heidenheim and St. Pauli dropping to the second division. Heidenheim suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Mainz, while St. Pauli lost 3-1 on their home turf against Wolfsburg. With 29 points each, both clubs were confirmed for relegation. Wolfsburg, finishing 16th, now faces a playoff match against the third-placed team from the second division, which will be either Elversberg, Hannover, or Paderborn.
Meanwhile, already crowned German champions for an astounding 35th time, Bayern Munich celebrated their title with a resounding 5-1 victory over Cologne. The Bavarian giants concluded their Bundesliga season with an impressive 122 goals scored, with Harry Kane contributing a remarkable 36 goals in the league (and 59 across all competitions), including a hat-trick in Saturday’s match (10th, 13th, 69th minutes).