El Khannouss scores and Maza responds.. A Moroccan-Algerian imprint in Stuttgart and Leverkusen's six goal thriller

Bilal El Khannouss and Ibrahim Maza ignite the Stuttgart and Leverkusen summit

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El Khannouss scores and Maza responds.. A Moroccan-Algerian imprint in Stuttgart and Leverkusen's six goal thriller

31.10.26 FT Bundesliga Germany

Bayer Leverkusen

VfB Stuttgart

Morocco international Bilal El Khannouss and Algeria's Ibrahim Maza both found the net on Saturday 31 October as Stuttgart defeated Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in a thrilling Bundesliga encounter at the BayArena.

The two North African midfielders produced impressive individual performances in the eighth round of the German championship, with El Khannouss scoring Stuttgart's third goal before Maza replied for Leverkusen in the closing stages.

Stuttgart secured their third league victory of the season, inflicting Leverkusen's first home defeat of the campaign.

El Khannouss strikes as Stuttgart overwhelm Leverkusen

Stuttgart made an excellent start, taking the lead after just 14 minutes.

El Khannouss combined with Deniz Undav before testing goalkeeper Mark Flekken whose save fell into the path of Ermedin Demirovic.

The Bosnian striker converted the rebound to open the scoring.

Jamie Leweling doubled Stuttgart's advantage in the 22nd minute but Patrik Schick reduced the deficit six minutes later with a header from an Aleix García corner.

The first half also witnessed a moment of individual brilliance from Maza whose powerful effort struck the crossbar in the 33rd minute.

However, the second half began with another decisive contribution from El Khannouss.

In the 51st minute, the Moroccan international received a pass from Chris Führich, advanced towards the penalty area and produced an accurate right footed strike from approximately 20 yards to restore Stuttgart's two goal advantage.

The goal was El Khannouss' second in the Bundesliga this season.

The 22 year old continued to influence Stuttgart's attacking movements before Demirovic completed his brace in the 65th minute, extending the visitors' lead to 4-1.

Bilal El Khannouss a contribué au large succès de Stuttgart sur la pelouse du Bayer Leverkusen (4-2). Titulaire pendant 85 minutes, le Marocain a inscrit le troisième but de son équipe et affiché 89 % de passes réussies ! 👏🇲🇦🔥 ________________________________ Bilal El Khannouss played a key role in Stuttgart’s impressive 4-2 away win over Bayer Leverkusen. He played 85 minutes, scored his team’s third goal and completed 89% of his passes! 👏🇲🇦🔥 #SKWAD
— SKWAD (@SKWAD_ma) October 31, 2026

Ibrahim Maza responds with impressive header

Despite Leverkusen's difficult afternoon, Maza remained one of the home side's most influential attacking players.

The Algerian international consistently attempted to create opportunities through his movement, close control and attacking runs.

His efforts were finally rewarded in the 79th minute.

Following a cross from Spanish defender Miguel Gutierrez, Maza rose at the far post and directed a precise header into the net.

The goal reduced the deficit to 4-2 but proved insufficient to inspire a comeback.

According to the Bundesliga, it was the first headed league goal of Maza's career.

The 20 year old has now scored three Bundesliga goals this season, matching his league tally from the previous campaign after just eight matchdays.

His latest contribution follows an impressive performance against Freiburg on 18 October, when he scored and provided an assist in Leverkusen's 2-1 victory.

Maza's continued development has attracted growing attention across Europe, with Foot Africa previously reporting interest from several major European clubs.

El Khannouss and Maza underline their growing Bundesliga influence

Saturday's encounter highlighted the attacking qualities of two of North Africa's most promising young midfielders.

El Khannouss, who completed a permanent move to Stuttgart following an impressive loan spell, demonstrated his ability to influence matches through creativity, movement and shooting from distance.

The Moroccan has already produced several memorable performances for the German club, including his outstanding two goal display against Celtic in European competition.

Maza, meanwhile, continues to establish himself as an important attacking option for Leverkusen.

Both players have featured among the African talents expected to make an impact in Germany this season.

Their individual contributions on Saturday offered another demonstration of the growing influence of Moroccan and Algerian players in European football.

فن الخروج من الضغط بسلاسة إبراهيم مازا 🇩🇿 https://t.co/OxfjP7pQ4F
— Aymen Boudjenah (@Aymenbdj) October 31, 2026

Stuttgart recover as Leverkusen suffer another setback

The result provided an important boost for Stuttgart after consecutive Bundesliga defeats.

Sebastian Hoeneß's side moved to nine points, climbing to tenth place in the standings.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, remained sixth with 13 points after suffering their second consecutive league defeat.

Despite dominating possession with more than 63% and registering 24 shots compared with Stuttgart's 15, the hosts struggled to match their opponents' efficiency.

Demirovic was named Player of the Match after scoring twice while El Khannouss and Maza were among the standout attacking performers.

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Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.