Borussia Monchengladbach had lost their opening six Bundesliga matches and faced the prospect of becoming the first team to begin a campaign with seven consecutive defeats. Instead, they recovered from conceding early to claim their first points of the season on Friday night.
“It is difficult to put into words,” Blessin said after the match.
The coach also reflected on the atmosphere surrounding the club during the difficult opening weeks.
“Six games with defeats, two of which I watched myself. You could already feel this atmosphere of doom and gloom,” he said. “It is lovely that we can finally celebrate a win together.”
The visitors fell behind in the fifth minute when Ermedin Demirović scored for VfB Stuttgart. Joe Scally equalised in the 38th minute, giving Gladbach a foothold before the break.
Shuto Machino put them ahead shortly after half-time, scoring in the 51st minute, before 17-year-old Wael Mohya extended the advantage in the 66th. Demirović scored again in the 83rd minute, setting up a tense finish, but Gladbach held on.
The result prevented a disastrous start from becoming a new Bundesliga record and offered some relief after a sequence that had put the club under growing pressure.
Blessin had taken charge after Eugen Polanski was replaced following four league defeats. The change had not immediately brought results, with Gladbach continuing to lose through their first six fixtures.
The victory in Stuttgart was therefore significant beyond the points gained. It gave the players and staff a chance to celebrate together after weeks of frustration, while also easing the immediate pressure surrounding the team.
Gladbach cannot afford to treat the result as a solution to every problem, but the manner of the comeback offered encouragement. After conceding first, they responded with three goals and managed to withstand Stuttgart’s late attempt to rescue a point.
Their next assignment is a DFB-Pokal tie against Karlsruher, giving Blessin’s side little time to enjoy the breakthrough before turning their attention to another competition.
For now, the immediate concern of avoiding a historically poor league start has been removed. The challenge is to build on the Stuttgart performance and turn a first victory into a more consistent run of results.