Stuttgart will host Freiburg at MHPArena on Thursday in a DFB-Pokal semi-final that pairs the defending champions against one of the Bundesliga's sharpest teams. Stuttgart are trying to reach the final for a second straight season, while Freiburg arrive with four consecutive victories and a place in the Europa League last four already secured.
Stuttgart know what it takes to finish the job. They won the 2024-25 DFB-Pokal final 4-2 against Arminia Bielefeld, with Nick Woltemade and Deniz Undav among the scorers and Enzo Millot striking twice. That run helped underline a strong cup habit even as Stuttgart finished ninth in the German top flight last season. They are now fourth in the Bundesliga, but Sunday's 4-2 loss to Bayern Munich followed a 4-0 win over Hamburger SV a week earlier and extended a pattern of alternating victory and defeat in their last seven matches across all competitions.
Their home form has also been uneven. Stuttgart have recorded three wins and three losses at MHPArena since beating FC Koln 3-1 on Valentine's Day. Their route through the cup has largely avoided top-flight opposition, with three of their four DFB-Pokal outings coming against 2.Bundesliga clubs. The only Bundesliga side they have faced in the competition this season was Mainz 05 in October, and they beat Holstein Kiel 3-0 in the quarter-final on February 4.
Freiburg present a very different challenge. They beat Heidenheim 2-1 on Sunday, with Johan Manzambi opening the scoring and Maximilian Eggestein delivering the late winner, and have won six of their last seven games across all competitions. Their only defeat in that stretch was a 3-2 loss to Bayern on April 4. In the DFB-Pokal, they reached this stage by beating Hertha Berlin on penalties after a 1-1 draw, and they also advanced to the last four of the Europa League after a 6-1 aggregate win over Celta Vigo.
That makes Thursday more than a simple title defence for Stuttgart. It is a test of whether a team that has been uneven at home can stop a Freiburg side that is in form, has already handled knockout pressure in Europe and has no reason to treat MHPArena as a welcoming venue. Freiburg lost 1-0 there in a previous meeting mentioned in the build-up, and Stuttgart will need a far cleaner performance than the one they produced against Bayern if they want another shot at the trophy.
For Stuttgart, the path is clear: win on Thursday and they move one step closer to back-to-back DFB-Pokal titles. For Freiburg, a place in the final would confirm that their strong spring is no fluke.
