Stuttgart attacker Deniz Undav enjoyed a stellar final Bundesliga outing before joining Julian Nagelsmann’s German national squad. His two goals and an assist in Sunday’s dominant 5-2 away win against Augsburg elevated his season total to 18 league goals. He now trails only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, who has 31. Undav playfully acknowledged the gap, jokingly stating his intention to “catch” the English striker.
The Sunday trip to fellow Swabians Augsburg, just across the Bavarian border, proved highly successful for Stuttgart. Undav’s teammates and fellow German national team hopefuls, Chris Führich and Maximilian Mittelstädt, also contributed with assists. Danish “comeback kid” Nikolas Nartey added another goal, while Angelo Stiller, anticipated to soon join Undav in the DFB camp, also secured an assist.
For Undav, the undeniable star of the match, the victory’s most significant aspect was undoubtedly helping his Bundesliga club erase the bitter taste of their Europa League elimination just days prior. Speaking to DAZN after the final whistle, Undav was eager to share his thoughts and blow off some steam.
Undav Reflects on Performance and Humor
“We aimed to channel that anger,” Undav explained, referring to Thursday’s defeat against Porto. He recounted, “I remained composed for my first goal. For the second, I told Chris Führich – who had missed an earlier chance – that he’d better pass it to me for the tap-in. My assist for Ermedin Demirovic’s goal, making it 5-2, proves I’m not an egomaniac.”
Undav’s reflections on his three goal contributions were delivered entirely in jest. For those unfamiliar with the German striker, his unique sense of humor might not always be immediately apparent. Since his return to Germany in 2023, Undav has affectionately earned the title of German football’s “clown prince.”
His humorous remarks weren’t over for the evening.
“I’m still going to catch up to Harry Kane!” Undav declared with a chuckle. “However, you can clearly see that I’m not selfish. Many players would have gone for the hat-trick themselves in that situation [referring to Demirovic’s 5-2 goal], but team spirit holds greater importance. What’s better than setting up a teammate when you could have scored yourself?”
“When I’m on the pitch, I aim to shine and score,” Undav concluded, looking ahead to his international duty. “I’m eager to play, but ultimately, the national team coach will make the decision.”
