VfB Stuttgart beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 at the BayArena.

The Bundesliga fixture on 31 October 2026 turned the BayArena in Leverkusen into a goal-fest. With both sides eager to claim three points, the match opened brightly and delivered six goals, four for the visitors and two for the home side.

How it unfolded

The first breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Ermedin Demirovic opened the scoring for Stuttgart, firing a left-footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner. Three minutes later, Ezequiel Fernández was booked for Bayer Leverkusen. Stuttgart doubled their lead at the 22nd minute as Jamie Leweling struck from very close range after a corner, sending the home crowd into a brief silence.

Leverkusen responded quickly, pulling one back in the 28th minute. Patrik Schick headed home from very close range, the move set up by Aleix García’s cross from a corner. The momentum shifted again at the 40th minute when Bayer Leverkusen saw two yellow cards – Facundo Medina and Aleix García – while Stuttgart also received two cautions, Jeff Chabot and Luca Jaquez, the latter for a bad foul.

Stuttgart restored a two-goal advantage just after the break. In the 51st minute Bilal El Khannouss unleashed a right-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner, assisted by Chris Führich. Two minutes later, Ibrahim Maza was booked for a bad foul, his first caution of the match.

At the 58th minute Atakan Karazor was shown a yellow card for a bad foul, and four minutes later Ermedin Demirovic received his own booking for a bad foul. Stuttgart then extended their lead in the 65th minute when Demirovic, after a fast break, slotted a right-footed shot from the right side of the six-yard box into the top right corner. The goal was confirmed following a VAR review and came from an assist by Deniz Undav.

Leverkusen fought back late on, and in the 79th minute Ibrahim Maza headed home from the centre of the box, the ball placed into the bottom right corner after a cross from Miguel Gutiérrez. The score settled at 4-2 in favour of Stuttgart.

Standout performers

  • Ermedin Demirovic (Stuttgart) – two goals (14’, 65’) and an assist (65’) highlighted his impact, including a VAR-confirmed strike.
  • Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) – scored the home side’s first goal, a close-range header in the 28th minute.
  • Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart) – added the second goal for the visitors with a quick finish after a corner in the 22nd minute.
  • Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart) – contributed a long-range effort in the 51st minute, assisted by Chris Führich.
  • Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen) – netted a late header in the 79th minute, assisted by Miguel Gutiérrez.

Match facts

  • Final score: Bayer Leverkusen 2-4 VfB Stuttgart
  • Scorers:
    • Bayer Leverkusen – Patrik Schick (28’), Ibrahim Maza (79’)
    • VfB Stuttgart – Ermedin Demirovic (14’, 65’), Jamie Leweling (22’), Bilal El Khannouss (51’)
  • Assists: Aleix García (Schick), Chris Führich (El Khannouss), Deniz Undav (Demirovic), Miguel Gutiérrez (Maza)
  • Bookings:
    • Bayer Leverkusen – Ezequiel Fernández (17’), Facundo Medina (40’), Aleix García (40’), Ibrahim Maza (53’)
    • VfB Stuttgart – Jeff Chabot (40’), Luca Jaquez (40’), Atakan Karazor (58’), Ermedin Demirovic (64’)
  • Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen

What it means

The result confirms VfB Stuttgart’s ability to secure a decisive away win in the Bundesliga, while Bayer Leverkusen will look to address defensive lapses after conceding four goals at home.