Hoeneß and Löw react to final day clash in Leipzig | OneFootball

Hoeneß: “Symbolic of our season”

Speaking after the match, Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß praised his team's resilience:

"We played a good first half, the fact that we still went into the break trailing is somewhat symbolic of how certain games have gone for us this season. Leipzig were extremely clinical in the first 45 minutes," said Hoeneß.

The coach emphasised the importance of the second-half response:

"The plan for the second half was clear: give everything, leave it all out there, and turn the game around together. The team executed that brilliantly. We’re thrilled to get our first win in Leipzig. With 50 points, we were close to qualifying for Europe. I see our overall development as very positive, and now we want to crown it next week in the DFB-Pokal final in Berlin."

Leipzig’s Löw disappointed by missed opportunity

RB Leipzig interim coach Zsolt Löw expressed disappointment after his team squandered the lead twice and fell short of securing European football:

“We managed to take the lead twice, but after Stuttgart equalised at 2-2, a lot of energy drained from the team. We kept trying, but ultimately lost the match. Anything more than a draw would’ve been undeserved for either side. Unfortunately, we missed our minimum goal of qualifying for the Conference League. Right now, the disappointment is immense.”

Undav: "A mentality win"

Striker Deniz Undav, who has been a key figure in Stuttgart’s late-season surge, hailed the team’s fighting spirit:

"It was a fantastic game, also a real mentality win. Coming back again after being 2-1 down was huge. Our performances in recent weeks have been very positive. If we keep this up and stay mentally sharp, I’m optimistic about the final. We've grown even closer as a team – we're just a really strong group."

Mittelstädt: "We showed great character"

Left-back Maximilian Mittelstädt, who registered two assists in the match, highlighted the team’s ability to fight back:

"We showed once again that we have a lot of character and can come back from behind. This away win has given us a real energy boost. Over the last three weeks, we’ve given a lot back to the fans with our performances and results, and we’ve put ourselves in a great place heading into the final."

Mittelstädt also reflected on his contribution:

“I'm happy to have provided two assists, it's always great to help the team in that way. Now we’ll fully focus and prepare with joy for the Pokal final in Berlin.”