With a goal in the first quarter of an hour, SC Freiburg decides the Baden-Württemberg duel at VfB Stuttgart in its favor and remains away without conceding a goal.
In a game that was balanced over long stretches in the sold-out arena in Stuttgart, the guests from Freiburg managed to take the early lead. The home side were only able to gain few chances in the further sale of the game.
VfB coach Pellegrino Matarazzo only made one change to the starting XI compared to the game in Bremen. Silas replaced the sick Tiago Tomas alongside Sasa Kalajdzic up front. Borna Sosa moved to the left wing. The injured Josha Vagnoman (muscle problems) and Konstantinos Mavropanos (knee) were also used from the start. Christian Streich, relied on the same eleven for his 400th competitive game as a professional coach, as in the 1:3 defeat against Borussia Dortmund.
The opening phase of the game was initially very balanced. Both teams ran high and tried to disrupt the opposing game opening early on. The hosts tried to switch quickly after winning the ball themselves and created their first chance to score in the sixth minute. Naouirou Ahamada entered the penalty area at high speed. His pass, however, came up empty. A little later, a cross from Borna Sosa found Josha Vagnoman’s head. However, he put too little pressure behind the ball.
Grifo scores for Freiburg
With the first offensive action by the guests, Freiburg took the lead straight away. Doan was initially able to happily hold the ball in the Stuttgart penalty area. Sildillia’s cross on the back post was found by Grifo, who got away behind Mavropanos and was able to slot in unhindered (11′). The opening goal helped the Breisgau team to gain more security in the game. The ball now ran much better through their own ranks than at the beginning. So far, the Swabians have concentrated on their own defense and left the game design to the guests.
Header chances on both sides
After Chris Führich and Roland Sallai had exchanged a few niceties, which were both punished with yellow cards, the Freiburg team managed the next attack worth seeing. After a great combination, Ritsu Doan brought the ball into the Swabian penalty area. Michael Gregoritsch headed just wide of the Kreuzeck (30′). It was just as close on the other side. Konstantinos Mavropanos headed in from the penalty spot after a Sosa cross. Freiburg keeper Mark Flekken reacted quickly and cleared a corner with his left hand, which didn’t yield anything (35′).
Freiburg cannot extend the lead
Five minutes before the break, the guests had the chance to increase their lead. After winning the ball in midfield, the Breisgauer countered on the left and had a majority situation in the opposing penalty area. However, Ritsu Doan failed to get the ball under control. Technical error – missed opportunity. The last chance of the first half then again for the Swabians. After a header from Sasa Kalajdzic, it’s again Freiburg’s Mark Flekken who was able to scrape the ball out of the left corner. The game was interrupted anyway after a foul on Nicolas Höfler. So it went into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead from Freiburg’s point of view.
Stuttgart strong on the left, Freiburg changes
Both teams came out of the dressing room unchanged. Freiburg tried it right away with a kick-off variant. Roland Sallai missed after a Grifo cross pass, but clearly. A little later, Borna Sosa escaped from Kiliann Sildillia, but instead of serving Josha Vagnomann, who was completely free, he took the shot himself from an acute angle and failed on the leg of Mark Flekken (49th). Shortly thereafter, he had to be treated at the hip, but he was able to continue playing. The Swabians were the more active team in this phase of the game. The hosts managed to get the ball quickly to the Freiburg penalty area, especially on the left side of the attack, but the accuracy of the last pass was lacking in the end to be even more dangerous. This was also registered by Freiburg’s coach Streich. After a double substitution (Gulde for Sallai, Joeng for Doan), the guests switched to a three- or five-man chain after 60 minutes.
Stuttgart changes more offensively
The change also had a direct effect. Freiburg’s new basic order seemed very safe, it was now much more difficult for the Stuttgarters to attack on the flanks. Now VfB coach Matarazzo reacted and brought on two new attacking players after 72 minutes (Pfeiffer for Sosa, Egloff for Führich). But even in the more offensive 4-3-3 system, the home side found it difficult to create good opportunities. Only the substitute Enzo Millot (for Ahamada) managed to set an offensive accent from time to time. His header a good ten minutes before the end was too harmless.
Freiburg tries to secure result
Freiburg tried to further strengthen their defense with a defensively oriented triple substitution (Kyereh for Gregoritsch, Keitel for Grifo, Siquet for Sildillia) (81′), while Stuttgart put everything on one card and brought in Juan José Perea (for Vagnoman) the last Striker off the bench. Freiburg defended calmly and well organized. In the eight-minute stoppage time, they also managed to stop Stuttgart’s offensive actions in front of their own penalty area. After the 1-0 away win, the Breisgauers welcome VfL Bochum on Friday (26 August, 8:30 p.m.). VfB takes on 1. FC Köln on Sunday (28 August, 3:30 p.m.).
