Hoeneß Blames Complacency for Shock Defeat

VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has suggested that a sense of complacency crept into his team's performance, contributing to their surprising 2-3 home defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday evening. Hoeneß acknowledged that Gladbach fully deserved their first victory of the season, pointing to the visitors' superior physical commitment.

The coach noted that Gladbach's team covered approximately 128 kilometers during the match, significantly more than Stuttgart. Despite Ermedin Demirovic scoring early for Stuttgart, Gladbach completed a remarkable turnaround with goals from Shuto Machino and Wael Mohya. Demirovic's late second goal was insufficient to prevent the home side's fifth league defeat in seven games.

Hoeneß dismissed suggestions that fatigue from their midweek Champions League draw against Atlético Madrid was a factor, as six changes were made to the squad. He emphasized that the issue was more mental, stemming from a feeling of being too sure of victory and failing to maintain intensity against an opponent they perhaps underestimated due to their poor start to the season.

This loss leaves Stuttgart with only six points from their opening seven Bundesliga fixtures, a stark contrast to their seven points from three Champions League matches. Hoeneß stressed that promising performances must be matched by consistent determination in league games.