VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has suggested that complacency contributed to his team’s disappointing 2-3 home defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday evening. The 44-year-old believes his players may have become too comfortable after dominating the opening stages against the Bundesliga’s previously pointless bottom club.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hoeneß acknowledged that Gladbach fully deserved their first victory of the season. The Stuttgart head coach particularly highlighted the visitors’ superior physical commitment, noting that Alexander Blessin’s team had covered approximately 128 kilometers over the course of the match.
“They developed a siege mentality,” Hoeneß said of Gladbach. “The statistics show it as well. They covered 128 kilometers, significantly more than us, even though we didn’t exactly cover a small distance ourselves.”
Stuttgart appeared well positioned to secure a much-needed Bundesliga victory when Ermedin Demirovic opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The hosts subsequently created several opportunities to double their advantage, but failed to capitalize before Joe Scally equalized in the 38th.
Shuto Machino and Wael Mohya then completed Gladbach’s remarkable turnaround after the interval. Demirovic’s second goal in the 83rd minute proved insufficient to prevent Stuttgart from suffering their fifth Bundesliga defeat in seven matches.
Hoeneß suggests Stuttgart became complacent after dominant start
Asked whether his team’s collapse reflected an underlying attitude problem, Hoeneß conceded that Stuttgart may have become too certain of victory as the first half progressed.
“I think there are matches in which you become too sure that everything is going your way,” Hoeneß told reporters. “And I think you would probably confirm that if you watched the match. You were probably thinking about how lopsided the score would become.”
The Stuttgart coach acknowledged that Gladbach’s disastrous start to the season and considerable injury problems had created expectations of a comfortable home victory.
“Probably everyone came to the stadium today wondering: ‘How badly are we going to thrash them?'” Hoeneß continued. “And the team, as the opening stages showed, wasn’t thinking that way. But perhaps after 25 or 30 minutes, they were.”
Hoeneß emphasized that Stuttgart initially demonstrated the necessary aggression and intensity, but became increasingly careless in possession after failing to extend their lead.
Stuttgart coach rejects Champions League fatigue explanation
Hoeneß was also asked whether Stuttgart’s midweek 1-1 Champions League draw against Atlético Madrid had contributed to Friday’s defeat. The 44-year-old rejected the suggestion that his team’s physical freshness had been the decisive issue.
“We made six changes. Freshness shouldn’t have been an issue today,” Hoeneß said. “It’s more about the course of the match. It’s more of a mental issue. Being a little too sure of yourself, not keeping the opponent down, but allowing them to get back up.”
The defeat leaves Stuttgart with just six points from their opening seven Bundesliga fixtures, despite having collected seven points from three Champions League matches.
For Hoeneß, Friday’s defeat must now serve as a warning that promising passages of football and impressive European performances will count for little unless Stuttgart rediscover the consistency and determination required to win Bundesliga matches.