BERLIN: VfB Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win over RB Leipzig on Sunday, sending the fourth-placed hosts three points clear of the visitors in the Bundesliga.

Undav pounced on an error from Leipzig goalkeeper Maarten Vande­v­o­ordt to score his 16th goal of the season and move Stuttgart level with third-placed Hoffenheim on 50 points.

“Today, we just tried to win our duels. Winning those small moments gives us a boost in front of our home fans,” Undav said to DAZN.

“And when you get that 1-0, you play with a bit more confidence.”

Bayer Leverkusen, who were held to a 1-1 draw by a nine-man Bayern Munich on Saturday, sit five points behind Stuttgart and two behind fifth-placed Leipzig in a tight race for next season’s Champions League.

Stuttgart play at Porto in the Europa League on Thursday seeking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit and reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since reaching the 1989 final.

Meanwhile, Jeong Woo-yeong scored in stoppage time and ‘keeper Matheo Raab produced a spectacular late save on his Union Berlin debut as the visitors won 1-0 at Freiburg.

Union’s first away win in 2026 took them seven points clear of the relegation playoff spot.

Elsewhere, Mainz won 2-0 at Werder Bremen to overtake the hosts and move three points clear of the relegation play-off spot.

A traditional giant in danger of a second relegation in six seasons, Bre­men’s woes were summed up when their defender Marco Gruell seemed to be distracted by a pigeon walking on the field as Mainz took a quick throw for Paul Nebel’s fifth-minute opener. Mainz’s Lee Jae-Sung added ano­ther in the second half to boost their own chances of survival.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026