VfB Stuttgart Vs FSV Mainz [2–1] – Bundesliga 2025/2026: Sebastian Hoeneß Tactics Secure 5th Straight League Win – Tactical Analysis

Sunday Bundesliga games are reserved for teams that play in European competitions, so the leagues best teams typically play on Sundays.

This Sunday, VfB Stuttgart hosted 1. FSV Mainz 05 for the last game of the eighth matchday this season.

VfB Stuttgart and their head coach, Sebastian Hoeneß, have been on a roll lately.

They have won four straight Bundesliga games, shown great class, and climbed the table into the top four.

After winning the DFB-Pokal last season, the club qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

Still, their last two games in the competition were rather rough losses against FC Basel and Fenerbahce.

For Mainz and Bo Henriksen, things look a lot different.

While their season in the UEFA Conference League is off to a great start with two wins from two games, the team has only won one of the first seven Bundesliga games, placing them in the relegation zone.

Both teams approached the game differently.

Sebastian Hoeneß opted to rotate nearly his entire team, while Henriksen trusted his usual starting XI.

In this tactical analysis, we will examine the approaches of the two coaching staffs, how the game unfolded, and the tactical measures that decided the game in favour of VfB Stuttgart.

Stuttgart Early Dominance

The game wasn’t just a typical Bundesliga match with many different circumstances; looking at the current standings, it was also a face-off between two completely different approaches to the game.

Stuttgart have been one of the best teams in possession ever since Hoeneß took over the team in the midst of a rough relegation battle and turned things around within just a year.

The young German coach has been absorbing many of Pep Guardiolas tactics, and it shows when his men have the ball at their feet.

Stuttgart always use a 3-2-5 shape while building up.

Their wing-backs push very high up the field into the attacking line, with two players in the half-spaces and one traditional striker.

THoneß