With an away win at bottom of the table Hertha BSC, VfB Stuttgart could have almost decisively distanced themselves from the direct relegation places. But things turned out differently on Saturday afternoon. After the 1: 2 in Berlin, the Swabians are now in the relegation place and are still in acute relegation troubles.
Sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth warned not to let the bankruptcy in the six-point game from last Saturday affect the team for too long.
“We’ve often had to live with setbacks. That’s why we’re not immediately surprised and offended when we have to work through such a performance,” said the 44-year-old to the “kicker”.
After 31 match days, VfB has just six wins this season, no other team in the Bundesliga has won fewer games. Above all, the record of the Swabians in the direct duels with the relegation rivals sometimes leaves a lot to be desired, but in February they lost against the bottom of the table at the time, FC Schalke 04 (1:2).
Relegation showdown against Hoffenheim is possible
After the game, VfB manager Wohlgemuth referred to the right reaction, which his team had shown several times this season after blows in the neck: “We can’t buy anything from the dejection and disappointment. We have to keep believing in it.”
For Stuttgart, the next weekend is the home game against Bayer Leverkusen, followed by the away game at 1. FSV Mainz 05.
The constellation could be particularly explosive on the 34th and final day of the game, when VfB has TSG 1899 Hoffenheim as guests. The coaches of both clubs were employed by the other club last year. Sebastien Hoeneß was Hoffenheim coach until May 2022, Pellegrino Matarazzo was still employed in Stuttgart at the start of the season.