STUTTGART, Germany (Interstat) — VfB Stuttgart opened its Europa League campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over MH Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday afternoon at a rain-slicked MHPArena.

The German side, playing in the group stage of a European competition for the first time in over a decade, outperformed pregame projections with a multi-faceted attack that saw four different players find the net. The result immediately separated the two clubs in the Group F table, with Stuttgart perfect after one match and Maccabi still seeking its first point.

Stuttgart established control early and was rewarded in the 24th minute. Forward Lorenz Assignon, making a driving run into the penalty area, finished a precise through ball from midfielder Bilal El Khannouss to give the hosts a lead they would not relinquish.

The home side doubled its advantage just 13 minutes later. Forward Tiago Tomás capitalized on sustained pressure, slotting home a close-range effort in the 37th minute to send Stuttgart into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 cushion. The two-goal margin already exceeded the scoring output predicted by Interstat’s game simulator, which had projected a 3-0 Stuttgart win.

Maccabi Tel Aviv, competing in the Europa League group stage for the first time since 2014, showed resilience to start the second half. Substitute Roy Revivo provided a momentary spark for the Israeli champions, halving the deficit in the 52nd minute. He finished a swift counter-attack, assisted by fellow substitute Itai Ben Hamo, to bring the score to 2-1 and threaten a comeback.

Any momentum for the visitors was quickly stifled, however. The match grew increasingly fractious, with four yellow cards shown in the second half. Maccabi’s Mohamed Aly Camara was booked in the 54th minute, followed by Stuttgart’s El Khannouss in the 65th and Maccabi’s Ben Hamo in the 82nd.

Stuttgart sealed the victory in emphatic fashion during second-half stoppage time. Defender Maximilian Mittelstädt, who had been a constant threat pushing forward from his left-back position, netted in the 90th minute to restore the two-goal lead. The scoring was capped just moments later by another defender, Josha Vagnoman, who converted a pass from substitute Mohamed Aly Camara in the fourth minute of added time for the final 4-1 margin.

The comprehensive win validated the pre-match analytics from Interstat, which gave Stuttgart a 79.90 percent probability of victory based on its ELO rating system. The performance showcased Stuttgart’s offensive depth, with goals coming from two defenders, a forward and a substitute forward, while Maccabi’s lone strike also came from a substitute.

With the result, VfB Stuttgart begins its European season with one win and no losses across all competitions. MH Maccabi Tel Aviv, meanwhile, searches for its first victory of the 2025-26 campaign after opening with a loss both in Europe and overall. The two teams will meet again in Matchday 2 of the Europa League group stage in Tel Aviv.