Leverkusen 2-4 Stuttgart: Demirović double sees VfB win at the BayArena

Leverkusen had the ball and the shots, but Stuttgart had the scoreline inside the first quarter of an hour. Ermedin Demirović opened the scoring in the 14th minute, then Jamie Leweling doubled the lead in the 22nd, from a ball Mark Flekken could only push out after a corner. Patrik Schick pulled one back with a header in the 28th, from an Aleix García corner, and the game grew so tense that four players were booked in the 40th minute.

The second half confirmed the pattern. Bilal El Khannouss made it 3-1 in the 51st with a low shot from the edge of the area. After a turnover and a counter-attack, Deniz Undav set up Demirović in the 65th for 4-1. Ibrahim Maza headed Leverkusen's second goal in the 79th, too late to turn the match around.

Less possession, more expected goals

Leverkusen led most of the columns: 63% possession, 24 shots to 15, 12 corners to 3, 527 passes played to 327. But the expected goals favour the other side, 2.88 for Stuttgart against 2.07. The VfB took 11 of their 15 attempts from inside the box; Leverkusen 15 of their 24, with 9 shots from distance.

Accuracy made the difference: Stuttgart scored four times from seven shots on target, Leverkusen twice from eight. Dennis Seimen made six saves, Flekken three. Afonso Moreira had six shots on his own for Leverkusen, without scoring.

Six goals, three of them from poorly handled balls

Stuttgart's first two goals came from balls Leverkusen failed to clear: a Flekken rush out of goal that was rounded in the 14th, and a corner pushed out in the 22nd. The 4-1 came from Maximilian Mittelstädt, who came on in the 65th, winning the ball off Maza. Both of the Bayer's goals were headers, one from a corner, the other from a Miguel Gutiérrez cross.

The 4-1 shut the door just after the substitutions

The turning point came in the 65th minute, when Mittelstädt and Jeltsch came on. Leverkusen still had 25 minutes to get back to 3-2. The counter finished by Demirović took that possibility away.

SNA verdict: Stuttgart accepted not having the ball and used it very well when they did, with Undav as provider (four key passes) despite losing all six of his duels. Leverkusen tried a lot, but they conceded four goals from seven shots on target, and no volume of shots erases that. Aleix García was the Bayer's most complete player, with an assist, three key passes and three tackles in 83 minutes. Each side also hit the woodwork, without changing the course of the match.

Maza and El Khannouss score, Tapsoba holds his ground

Algeria international Ibrahim Maza was the busiest of the four: a header in the 79th, four shots, two of them on target, and 11 duels won out of 18. Morocco international Bilal El Khannouss, on the Stuttgart side, scored the third goal and added three tackles in 85 minutes.

Burkina Faso international Edmond Tapsoba played 90 minutes, with 70 passes and seven duels won out of ten, in a defence that nonetheless conceded four goals. Nigeria international Victor Boniface came on in the 83rd for seven minutes, with one shot and a key pass.

Stuttgart breathe again, Leverkusen stay sixth

Stuttgart, 11th with 9 points, pick up three precious points away from home and travel to Galatasaray on Tuesday 3 November in the Champions League. Leverkusen remain 6th with 13 points. The Bayer host Olympique de Marseille this week in the Europa League.

SNA man of the match: Ermedin Demirović

Three shots, three on target, two goals in 90 minutes: Demirović was decisive for the opener and for the 4-1. He was also booked in the 64th, a minute before his second goal. SNA rating: 9.5.