Because a player Hoeneß wanted has disappointed: Will a 19-year-old solve VfB Stuttgart's big problem?

Yanik Spalt delivers a strong performance on his Champions League debut. Could the youngster solve a major problem for VfB Stuttgart?

VfB Stuttgart suffered their first defeat of the current Champions League season at Galatasaray on Tuesday evening, despite playing well for much of the match. The scoreboard read 0-2 (0-2) after 90 minutes. As so often this season, Stuttgart failed to make their chances count, with Jamie Leweling hitting the woodwork twice early on.

Despite the defeat to a clinical Turkish side, Sebastian Hoeneß's team have seven points from their three Champions League matches, including one earned with a strong performance against favourites Atletico Madrid. A win over Gala would have taken them to ten points and made a place in the knockout stage almost certain with four matches still to play. Instead, they left Istanbul having missed the chance to take a huge step towards the intermediate round.

Stuttgart also had reasons to be encouraged by their performance at Rams Park. As in last weekend's 4-2 Bundesliga win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen, they impressed for long stretches. After uninspired and headless displays early in the season, including defeats against Hoffenheim, Hamburg and Mönchengladbach, Hoeneß's side are gradually finding their rhythm and putting his tactical approach into practice.

For Hoeneß, the match offered another sign that Yanik Spalt, a young talent who joined his ranks this summer, could help address one of Stuttgart's major problem areas.

How did Yanik Spalt fare on his Champions League debut for VfB Stuttgart?

Spalt's chance came unexpectedly. The 19-year-old Austrian had to replace former captain Atakan Karazor in the 17th minute after Karazor left the pitch with thigh problems. Thrown into Istanbul's "cauldron", he handled the difficult conditions remarkably well on his first Champions League appearance.

Far from letting the deafening atmosphere overwhelm him, Spalt threw himself into challenges, called for the ball and repeatedly looked to drive forward. "That was excellent," said team-mate Deniz Undav, who, in the heat of the moment, even forgot that the central midfielder was not a seasoned veteran with dozens of Champions League appearances. "I felt like he was an old hand. He wanted every ball, went into challenges, wanted to turn with it. Hats off to him. And to do that in this stadium, with that atmosphere."

Undav wasn't alone in his praise. Hoeneß described Spalt's performance as "exceptionally good and composed", while managing director for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth said: "There are quieter places to make a Champions League debut. Straight after coming on, he went into a challenge, committed to it and won it. Those are moments you go over at night. To be so present in a match like that is exceptional. It was a very special moment for him."

Could Yanik Spalt solve a major problem for VfB Stuttgart?

During pre-season, Spalt had already shown he could play a bigger role for Stuttgart's senior side. He got considerable minutes in friendlies against TSG Balingen, Kickers Offenbach, FC Fulham and FC Paris, drawing particular attention with his performance against the French side. Wohlgemuth called that display "very, very good" too. Stuttgart subsequently made Spalt a permanent member of the senior squad, and he has appeared in the squad for 11 of their 14 competitive matches since.

His senior debut finally came as a late substitute at home against 1. FC Köln on the second Bundesliga matchday. A week later, he played 55 minutes away at Hoffenheim. Against Galatasaray, Spalt played 72 minutes, significantly longer than in any of his previous Stuttgart appearances.

With central midfield proving Stuttgart's Achilles heel this season, Spalt's emergence could hardly be better timed. After signing Grischa Prömel on a free transfer from TSG Hoffenheim early in the summer transfer window, Stuttgart initially appeared to have completed their plans for the positions in front of the defence.

Chema Andres's late departure changed that. Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion paid Stuttgart around €22 million for the young Spaniard on deadline day, suddenly leaving them short of options. Hoeneß initially paired his preferred choice Prömel with the established Stiller, but they have yet to gel as the coach envisaged. Prömel in particular has fallen well short of expectations, allowing Karazor, who lost the captaincy in the summer, to reclaim the place next to Stiller for a time.

Since then, Stuttgart's options have narrowed further. Stiller had to come off at half-time in the DFB Cup match at SC Paderborn a week and a half ago and is out until further notice with an injury in the adductor area. Karazor suffered a muscle contusion against Gala, making him highly unlikely to be available for Saturday's match against Werder Bremen.

Spalt now has a chance to strengthen his case. Hoeneß said as early as Tuesday evening that the Austrian had "put himself forward for more appearances". A first place in the starting XI could follow against Bremen.