Yanik Spalt shines on his Champions League debut. Could the youngster solve a major problem for VfB Stuttgart?
On Tuesday evening, VfB Stuttgart suffered their first defeat of the current Champions League season against Galatasaray. The Swabians played well for much of the match, but the scoreboard read 0-2 (0-2) after 90 minutes. As so often this season, they failed to take their chances. Jamie Leweling hit the woodwork twice early on.
Sebastian Hoeneß's side have still collected seven points from their first three Champions League matches, including a point from a strong display against favourites Atletico Madrid. The away defeat to a clinical Turkish side is not a particularly big sporting setback, but a win against Gala would have taken Stuttgart a huge step towards the intermediate round. With ten points and four matches still to play, they would have been almost impossible to deny a place in the knockout phase. They missed that opportunity in Istanbul.
At Rams Park, Stuttgart also showed plenty of what had impressed in last weekend's 4-2 Bundesliga win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen. After uninspired and aimless displays at the start of the season, including defeats to Hoffenheim, Hamburg and Mönchengladbach, they appear to be finding a rhythm and putting Hoeneß's tactical approach into practice more consistently.
Hoeneß also saw what young Yanik Spalt could offer. Since this summer, the coach has had a promising player in his ranks who may be able to address one of Stuttgart's major problem areas.
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How did Yanik Spalt's Champions League debut for VfB Stuttgart go?
The 19-year-old Austrian got his chance unexpectedly when former captain Atakan Karazor had to leave the pitch in the 17th minute with thigh discomfort. Thrown into Istanbul's "cauldron", Spalt impressed enormously on his first Champions League appearance.
Unfazed by the deafening atmosphere, the VfB player did not hide. He threw himself into every challenge, called for the ball and repeatedly looked to drive forward. "That was top-class," praised team-mate Deniz Undav, who, in the heat of the moment, even forgot that the central midfielder was by no means a seasoned veteran with countless Champions League appearances. "I felt like he was an old hand. He wanted every ball, went into the challenges, wanted to turn with it. Hats off to him. And to do that in that stadium, with that atmosphere."
The club's sporting officials were similarly impressed. Hoeneß called it an "exceptionally good, assured" performance, while managing director for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth said: "There are quieter places to make a Champions League debut. He went into a challenge straight after coming on, committed to it and won it. Those are moments you go over at night. To be so ready in a match like that is exceptional. It was a very special moment for him."
Getty ImagesCould Yanik Spalt solve a major problem for VfB Stuttgart?
Pre-season offered the first sign that Spalt would play a bigger role for Stuttgart's first team this season. He got considerable playing time in friendlies against TSG Balingen, Kickers Offenbach, FC Fulham and FC Paris, with his performance against the French side drawing particular attention. Wohlgemuth described the young Austrian's display as "very, very good". Spalt then joined the first-team squad permanently and has since made the squad for eleven of the senior side's 14 competitive matches.
On matchday two of the Bundesliga season, he made his first-team debut with a late appearance off the bench at home against 1. FC Köln. A week later, he played 55 minutes away at Hoffenheim. Against Galatasaray, Spalt played 72 minutes, considerably longer than in any of his previous appearances in a Stuttgart shirt.
Spalt may now get more time on the pitch. His emergence comes when Stuttgart need help in central midfield, their Achilles heel this season. After securing Grischa Prömel on a free transfer from TSG Hoffenheim early in the summer transfer window, they had initially appeared to have completed their recruitment for the positions in front of the defence.
But Chema Andres's late departure left them short of options. Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion paid Stuttgart around €22 million for the young Spaniard on deadline day. Alongside the established Stiller, Hoeneß initially tried his preferred signing Prömel, but the pair have yet to click as the coach envisaged. Prömel in particular has fallen well short of expectations, prompting Hoeneß to restore Karazor, who lost the captaincy in the summer, alongside Stiller for a time.
Since then, Stuttgart's midfield problems have grown. Stiller had to come off at half-time in the DFB Cup match at SC Paderborn a week and a half ago and is out until further notice with an injury in the adductor area. Karazor suffered a muscle contusion against Gala, making him highly unlikely to be available for Saturday's match against Werder Bremen.
Spalt now has a chance to strengthen his case for more playing time. Hoeneß said on Tuesday evening that the Austrian had "put himself forward for further appearances". He could make the starting line-up for the first time against Bremen.