Stuttgart headed into Matchday 8 assured of at least a play-off place, but showed no mercy as a blistering start left opponents Young Boys’ hopes of reaching the next round in grave danger.
The game had barely settled when former Brighton man Deniz Undav neatly side-footed Lorenz Assignon’s delivery to give the Germans an early advantage inside six minutes.
Young Boys’ game plan was thrown into tatters just over a minute later, when Ermedin Demirovic worked a quick one-two with Angelo Stiller before easing his way through the porous Swiss defence to stroke home a second.
Having lost each of their last five games across all competitions, Young Boys looked particularly vulnerable and were fortunate not to be further behind in what, for the most part, had been a completely one-sided opening half. Chris Fuhrich and Jeff Chabot both went close before the marauding young centre-back Finn Jeltsch saw his low attempt tipped onto the post.
Against the run of play, the visitors were thrown an unlikely lifeline when Armin Gigovic halved the deficit - firing into the top-corner after goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow cheaply lost possession minutes before half-time.
Stuttgart looked increasingly uneasy in the second half as results elsewhere conspired against their hopes of advancing straight to the Round of 16, and Young Boys smelt blood.
Chris Bedia threatened to restore parity moments before Sandro Lauper produced a memorable equaliser, unleashing a ferocious 20-yard volley directly from a Young Boys corner.
The Swiss side continued to surge forward with renewed vigour as Bredlow reacted well to turn away Alvyn Sanches’s close-range effort. Young Boys continued to threaten in the knowledge a point would result in elimination as the two sides traded blows in an increasingly open-ended contest heading into the final 15 minutes.
A dangerous Young Boys breakaway seemed destined to give them a late winner but Sergio Cordova’s wasteful finish left Stuttgart unpunished. That late miss proved costly to the Swiss as a breakaway at the opposite end saw Andres fire Stuttgart back in front as Die Roten sealed a last-ditch winner.
The result ultimately secures Stuttgart a seeded place in the play-off round as they maintain their 100% home record in the competition, whilst Youngs Boys crash out empty handed.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Sandro Lauper (Young Boys)
