France-born defender of Togolese descent, Lorenz Assignon, scored the opening goal for VfB Stuttgart on Thursday night, inspiring the side to secure a 4-1 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.
His early strike set the tone for a commanding display that saw the German side take full control of the match.
Assignon broke the deadlock in the 24th minute with a superb finish, meeting an inch-perfect cross inside the box and firing past the goalkeeper with precision. Stuttgart doubled their advantage shortly after when Deniz Undav slipped a pass through to Tiago Tomas in the 37th minute, and the forward wasted no time in drilling the ball into the roof of the net.
The hosts continued their momentum early in the second half. Maximilian Mittelstädt confidently converted a penalty in the 50th minute, placing his effort into the right corner to make it 3-0. Maccabi Tel Aviv pulled one back two minutes later through Roy Revivo, who struck cleanly from outside the box into the bottom right corner.
Stuttgart, however, were not done. Deep into stoppage time, Badredine Bouanani delivered a perfect cross for Josha Vagnoman, who headed into an open net in the 94th minute to complete the 4-1 rout.
The win further strengthens Stuttgart’s standing in the competition as they continue their European campaign with confidence.
