However, the lead of the home side was useless for the time being – because competitor Hertha BSC led in Dortmund. That still meant the relegation place for VfB. Nevertheless, the team played almost like they were intoxicated: Wataru Endo aimed too high (33′) and hit the crossbar 120 seconds later. Cologne were also lucky that Schwäbe made great saves against Kalajdzic (35′) and Tomas (45′).
The compensation – Modeste shocked Stuttgart
After the break, the guests continued to defend in a rather airy manner: Kalajdzic fired a shot wide of the left (54′). The Stuttgart fans were waiting for good news from Dortmund – and saw the setback on their own pitch: goalkeeper Florian Müller let a cross slip out of his hands and Modeste headed in to equalize.
The game then splashed on a bit. The only good news for VfB came from the game of their fellow competitor Berlin, who was behind shortly before the end. The FC fans were also able to dream of the Europa League again after Bochum equalized at Union Berlin – pure excitement in the final phase.