Angelo Stiller's remarkable Champions League statistic highlights growing problem at Stuttgart
@_Camjsmith Angelo Stiller continues to impress for Stuttgart, but his outstanding numbers only highlight the attacking frustrations and midfield issues facing Sebastian Hoeneß. Angelo Stiller looks on for VfB Stuttgart against Slovan Bratislava.
Four defeats in six league matches have left Die Schwaben playing catch-up, and Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Hamburg only added to the frustration. However, results haven't always reflected performances, with glimpses of why VfB have been so special under Hoeneß still very much there.
Angelo Stiller remains central to that, with the German midfielder continuing to impress despite his side's inconsistent start to the campaign. In light of this, a remarkable Opta stat highlights his influence while also showing the glaring problems for those wearing the Brustring at the moment.
Angelo Stiller's impressive numbers underline Stuttgart struggles According to Opta, Stiller has made 51 line-breaking passes in the Champions League this season, more than any other player in the competition. To put that into perspective, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder had registered 227 ahead of last season's final, with Stiller already reaching 51 after just two matches.
VfB faced Viking Stavanger and Slovan Bratislava in their opening two, and will face tougher tests, but Stiller continues to impress in the heart of Hoeneß's midfield and, at times, carry the side on his back. 51 - Angelo Stiller spielte in dieser Saison in der UEFA Champions League mehr linienbrechende Pässe als jeder andere Spieler (51).
And at the very same time, Stuttgart as a side have struggled to make the most of this in the final third. According to FotMob, VfB have generated 12.3 expected goals in the league so far, the sixth-highest figure in the division, but have found the net just eight times.
They have also created 24 big chances, the third-highest total in the league behind Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, but crucially, they have missed 21. Saturday's defeat at the Volksparkstadion was the most blatant example of this, with Stuttgart recording 24 shots, holding 66% of the ball and generating 2.31 xG without finding the back of the net.
Ermedin Demirovic was particularly wasteful, passing up several promising opportunities, while Deniz Undav continued his frustrating league run as he was denied by the woodwork and an inspired Daniel Heuer Fernandes. The possession is there, with Stuttgart averaging 54.5%, the chances are there, and the quality is there.
However, for all of the good work, Hoeneß's side are being undone at a rate of knots unseen in recent years, and something must change soon. Sebastian Hoeneß must address midfield balance problem While much of the attention has understandably fallen on the wastefulness in front of goal, defensive problems have plagued VfB in the season's opening months.