Sebastian Rudy sent out an early sighter for the Stuttgart goal, missing by a margin, but signalling the Sinsheimers intentions to attack. It was therefore no surprise that a Hoffenheim player got his name on the scoresheet first, although the fact it was an own goal was unexpected. Adams was the unlucky blue-shirted player who turned Silas Wamangituka s cross into his own goal and did the hosts a huge favour. Unfazed, Hoffenheim continued to ask most of the questions and they very nearly levelled just before the break when Andrej Kramaric met Pavel Kaderabek s cross, but his header was turned away well by Gregor Kobel.
Regional neighbours and right next to each other in the Bundesliga standings at kick-off, this fixture had the makings of a game not to be missed before a ball was even kicked. It did not disappoint with Stuttgart taking the lead as early as the seventh minute. Silas Wamangituka skipped past Jonathan Schmid on the left and laid the ball off to Daniel Didavi, whose powerful shot was well saved by Florian Müller, but the VfB attacker was first to the rebound, and prodded in from close range. Freiburg soon rallied, and equalised through the in-form Ermedin Demirovic, whose deflected shot from Wooyeong Jeong’s pass left Gregor Kobel wrong-footed. Demirovic hit the outside of a post at a corner before Jeong gave the hosts the lead with a composed finish after a mistake by Pascal Stenzel. The Black Forest side were on top for most of the half after that, but Stuttgart should have drawn level again when Janik Haberer felled Wamangituka in the box; Müller, however, saved well from Nicola
2-2Silas (pen. 90 +5)
Gladbach were riding the crest of a wave after edging record champions Bayern Munich 3-2 last time out, but Stuttgart went close to raining on the visitors parade when Orel Mangala warmed the palms of Yann Sommer inside 15 minutes. Borussia returned fire through Breel Embolo, who brought a low save from Gregor Kobel. The Stuttgart goalkeeper was made to work again moments later, getting two firm wrists behind a Florian Neuhaus stinger. There was nothing he could do to stop the Foals forging ahead before half-time, though. After Stefan Lainer had been brought down by Borna Sosa in the box, the in-form Stindl, who had instigated the move with a fine through-ball, found top bins with the ensuing spot-kick.
Red card: Richter (76 )
Stuttgart were on a two-game losing streak without scoring at kick-off, but given their bold, attack-minded approach under Pellegrino Matarazzo this season, it was only a matter of time before they came good again. They laid down an early marker here, as Mateo Klimowicz had a volley blocked inside the first minute after good work from Gonzalez. Their pressure paid off a short while later when Klimowicz was brought down in the penalty area by Reece Oxford, allowing Gonzalez to put Stuttgart ahead from the spot. Augsburg, to their credit, responded well and Daniel Caligiuri rattled the crossbar with a brilliant 30-yard free-kick, before Ruben Vargas glanced a header just wide from a corner. That lack of precision was ruthlessly punished by Stuttgart though, as Silas Wamangituka finished off a sweeping counter-attack involving Marc-Oliver Kempf and Borna Sosa to give Matarazzo s charges a deserved lead at the interval.
14 weeks ago
Josip Brekalo fired Wolfsburg into the top four over the winter break with a second-half free-kick to earn a 1-0 win at home to VfB Stuttgart.
Goals: 1-0 Brekalo (49 )
Wolfsburg may have been deprived of a number of first-team regulars for this game, but they began determined to make the most of the chance to leapfrog Borussia Dortmund in the league standings. Maxence Lacroix header over from a corner in just the second minute as the Wolves sent out an early message of their intent, and Yannick Gerhardt hit the post with a header on the rebound after Gregor Kobel had saved his initial shot. The Wolfsburg midfielder even had the ball in the net on the half-hour mark, but it was ruled out for a foul in the build-up. While the hosts were the better team in the first 45 minutes, Stuttgart always looked dangerous on the break and went closest to scoring when Silas Wamangituka collected Daniel Didavi’s through-ball into the box, but his shot rolled just wide of the far po