VfB Stuttgart lost 0:2 to AS Roma in the Europa League, missing out on a top-eight spot. SC Freiburg, meanwhile, secured early qualification for the round of 16 with a 1:0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv. The matches on matchday seven delivered contrasting outcomes for the German sides.
AS Roma won 2:0 (1:0) against VfB Stuttgart on matchday seven of the Europa League at the Stadio Olimpico. Niccolò Pisilli scored both goals for the Romans in the 40th minute and injury time of the second half (90+3). The Stuttgart side, who controlled the early play, missed several opportunities: Jamie Leweling shot in the 33rd, goalkeeper Alexander Nübel saved against Lorenzo Pellegrini (43rd), Deniz Undav was denied by Mile Svilar (47th) and missed an open shot (58th), and Ermedin Demirović failed to score (79th). It marked Stuttgart's third league-phase defeat and their first loss of 2026. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß told RTL: "We must look at ourselves. In the end, you have to score the goals; the chances were there. This is a bitter evening for us."
SC Freiburg, by contrast, beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 1:0 (0:0) in front of 27,600 fans at the Europa-Park Stadion. Igor Matanović headed the winner in the 82nd minute. The Breisgau team remained unbeaten at home and notched their fourth straight home win, securing early round-of-16 qualification. The match started cautiously; Freiburg missed a chance in the 17th, Noah Atubolu saved a header (45+), Matthias Ginter failed from a corner (55th), Matanović hit the crossbar, and Yuito Suzuki missed the rebound. Coach Julian Schuster said on RTL+: "It was a great workmanlike victory. We said beforehand that discipline would decide. The lads implemented that very well. Many scoring chances, patient and composed."
Due to security concerns over potential antisemitic incidents, more than 2,000 police officers were deployed, leading to long queues and a boycott by some Freiburg fans. Freiburg next face OSC Lille, with the round of 16 set for March 12 and 19.
