Deniz Undav responds to criticism after ending goal drought

Deniz Undav admitted that it was a relief to end his goalscoring drought after finding the net in VfB Stuttgart's 3-0 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday evening.

The Germany international opened the scoring in the 29th minute as Sebastian Hoeneß's side secured their second consecutive victory in the competition.

Speaking to DAZN after the final whistle, Undav acknowledged that his recent struggles in front of goal had been frustrating, although he insisted that the team's results remained his priority.

"Of course it's a relief. As I said, it's always nice to score. To score again after a drought of, I think, seven or eight games feels good," Undav said.

"But ultimately, the important thing is that we won. That's the most important thing. I'm a team player, and I've said that before. As long as we're winning games, I don't have to score."

Asked whether he sometimes feels unfairly judged because of his goalscoring record, the Stuttgart striker dismissed the suggestion, acknowledging that his previous performances had raised expectations.

"No, not unfairly. It's clear to me that when you perform the way I did last season and at the World Cup, people judge you on that and expect you to score in practically every game. I understand that.

"But I've stayed calm. Of course, you see everything and hear everything, but I knew I'd score again eventually."

Undav went on to insist that winning matches was far more important than adding to his personal tally.

"As long as we're winning, I could go without scoring and we'd still be playing Champions League football next season, and I'd take that. It doesn't bother me.

"Getting my teammates involved and winning games is more enjoyable."

The 30-year-old also reflected on Stuttgart's performance in Bratislava, suggesting that grinding out victories could prove particularly valuable during a demanding period of the campaign.

"Of course we want to play beautiful Hoeneß football. That's clear, because that's how we've dominated a lot of teams," he explained.

"But ultimately, there's a reason people say that if you keep a clean sheet, you win. And sometimes, the uglier the victory, the better it feels."

Undav concluded by praising Stuttgart's defensive performance while acknowledging that further improvements could be made in attack.

"I'm proud of the team. It's not easy to win here. We produced another good defensive performance.

"We can always improve offensively, but as long as we keep a clean sheet, I'm confident we can win every game."