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VfB Stuttgart have come on leaps and bounds under Sebastian Hoeneß, the latest indicator of that being their place in the 2024/25 DFB Cup final in the club’s first appearance in the Berlin showdown since 2013.

As 24 May 2025 draws ever closer, Stuttgart fans, and even players, have most likely already envisaged the DFB Cup being held high above a huddle of white and red shirts.

Stuttgart lifting their first DFB Cup since 1997 would be the crowning moment of what has been an incredible past couple of seasons under the guidance of Hoeneß.

They must beat a spectacular Arminia Bielefeld side who have defied all the odds to reach this stage by beating four Bundesliga sides, including holders Bayer Leverkusen, on their way to Berlin. Yet Stuttgart have their own proud journey to the final to look back on…

First Round: Prussia Münster 0-5 VfB Stuttgart

Goals: 0-1 Stiller 7′, 0-2 Demirović 14 ‘(Assist: Stiller), 0-3 Stenzel 35 ‘(Assist: Demirovic), 0-4 Woltemade 72 ‘(Assist: Undav), 0-5 Karazor 80′ (pen.)

For Stuttgart, their journey to their meeting with Bielefeld started on a summer night in Münster. It wasn’t played on the same weekend as the other first-round fixtures as VfB had to play the season-opening Supercup against Leverkusen.

Instead, they travelled to face Preußen Münster at the end of August, having made a less than ideal start to their Bundesliga season. A 3-1 defeat at the hands of Freiburg meant they went into their opening cup fixture with a chip on their shoulder.

Münster certainly felt the effects of their frustration, conceding five to Hoeneß’s side.

Secound Round: VfB Stuttgart 2-1 Kaiserslautern
Goals: 1-0 Woltemade 14 ‘, 1-1 Tomiak 43 ‘(Pen.), 2-1 Führich 75 ‘(Assist: Demirovic)

Advancing into the second round, they faced another Bundesliga 2 side, Kaiserslautern. Sitting in 11th in their division at that point, Lautern came into this game on the back of an exhilarating 4-3 win away to Fortuna Düsseldorf, who were top of the table at the time.

With one win from their last four in the league before hosting the Red Devils, it appeared there were the necessary ingredients for a giant killing, although Hoeneß’s men had toppled Juventus on their European travels just a week earlier.

Nick Woltemade eased any fears for the Swabians by giving them the lead in the first 15 minutes.

A Boris Tomiak equaliser before half-time gave the visitors hope, before Chris Führich popped up 15 minutes from time to continue their cup adventure that took in many sights and sounds of Bundesliga 2…

Round of 16: Jahn Regensburg 0-3 VfB Stuttgart
Goals: 0-1 Millot 10 ‘(Assist: Woltemade), 0-2 Chase 19 ‘(Assist: Stenzel), 0-3 Woltemade 61 ‘(Assist: Diehl)

Jahn Regensburg were their opponents in the round of 16, a side who had already been sat at rock bottom of the second tier for eight weeks by the time of their meeting.

Visitors Stuttgart were sat ninth in the Bundesliga at the time and battling to remain in the Champions League. Just like their last away trip to a Bundesliga 2 side, Hoeneß’s men were quick off the mark, scoring in the 10th minute through Enzo Millot.

Young defender Anrie Chase doubled their lead shortly after, scoring his first goal for the club to send them into the break with a two-goal cushion.

Woltemade then wrapped up the victory just past the hour mark, setting up a meeting with Bundesliga rivals Augsburg in the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals: Stuttgart 1-0 Augsburg
Goals: 1-0 Undav 30 ‘(Assist: Demirovic)

Stuttgart had climbed to fifth in the league at this point, with six wins from 10 putting them one point behind RB Leipzig in fourth. Two defeats on the bounce to Mainz and Borussia Mönchengladbach meant that all was far from rosy before their tussle with Jess Thorup’s men, however.

Augsburg were six points behind them in the league but went into the tie unbeaten in four games.

The visitors presented, quite comfortably, the Swabians’ toughest test yet. Naturally, it was a tense affair, and one that would be decided by a singular goal in the end.

Deniz Undav would be the man to send them into the semi-finals, with his composed finish after neat combination play with Ermedin Demirović meaning Leipzig would be the next to visit the MHPArena on their cup journey.

Semi-Finals: VfB Stuttgart 3-1 RB Leipzig
Goals: 1-0 Stiller 5′, 2-0 Woltemade 57 ‘(Assist: Demirovic), 2-1 Shsho 62′ (assist: Orbán), 3-1 Lewing 73 ‘(Assist: Woltemade)

If their previous tie against Augsburg was difficult to call beforehand, this one certainly topped it in terms of intrigue. Winless in six, with four losses and two draws, Stuttgart entered April in 10th place.

Leipzig, however, would be under the guidance of Zsolt Lőw, who had replaced Marco Rose after the Red Bulls’ Matchday 27 loss to Gladbach.

Luckily for Lőw’s opposite number, Stuttgart couldn’t shake their habit of scoring first, and scoring early in the cup.

Angelo Stiller opened the scoring after just five minutes, and while the timing of the goal may have been a formality by this point, the nature of it definitely wasn’t! As a cleared corner floated in the evening sky, Stiller adjusted himself just outside the area, before welcoming the ball back to earth with a sweetly struck first-time volley, which flew into the far corner of Maarten Vandevoordt’s goal.

Stiller’s wonder strike set Stuttgart on their way to victory against RB Leipzig. – Alex Grimm

A flurry of Leipzig chances later, and Stuttgart were heading into the break with a slender lead. The second 45 saw them regain their rhythm, before extending their lead through Woltemade, who coolly slotted home from a much shorter distance than Stiller to see his side enter the final half hour two goals to the good.

The elation didn’t last long, however, with Benjamin Šeško pulling one back for Leipzig just two minutes into those final 30 minutes. There was still plenty of time left, could they mount a comeback?

Jamie Leweling made sure the answer to that question was a resounding ‘no’, prodding home after a goalmouth scramble around 10 minutes later to send Stuttgart to their first DFB Cup final in over 10 years.