A 2-0 win at Paderborn on Saturday gave VfB Stuttgart some relief after back-to-back Bundesliga defeats, but the result papers over a broader inconsistency that has defined their season so far. Sitting 11th in the table with six points from five games, Sebastian Hoeneß's side have shown they can compete, yet their league form has been fragile enough to raise questions about where this team is heading.

Much of the scrutiny has fallen on Dzenan Pejcinovic, the 21-year-old striker signed for 25 million euros from Wolfsburg in the summer, making him the club's second-most expensive signing ever. After a hat-trick on debut in the DFB-Pokal, he went without a Bundesliga goal for a sustained stretch, a slump that cost him a place in Jürgen Klopp's Germany squad for the Nations League. Pejcinovic has spoken openly about the pressure attached to his price tag, but insists his own ambition is enough to drive him. The Paderborn win may offer him a platform to rebuild momentum.

Off the pitch, Pejcinovic also confirmed he parted ways with his agent after joining Stuttgart, with his father now handling his affairs. He noted the phone has been ringing more since the news became public.

Attention now turns to Europe. Stuttgart travel to Slovan Bratislava on 14 October in the Champions League, before hosting Atletico Madrid on 20 October, a fixture that carries real weight in the race to reach the last 16 directly.