VfB Stuttgart can still win and, thanks to Sasa Kalajdzic, has new hopes in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga. The striker crowned a crazy race to catch up by the brave Swabians in 3: 2 (1: 2) in the 100th first division duel with Borussia Mönchengladbach with the late but well-deserved winning goal (83rd) – after the last nine unsuccessful attempts.
The deficit of the fighting and playfully convincing penultimate table on the relegation place is now only one point. Gladbach in 13th place is only five points away.
Strikers Alassane Plea (14th) with his fifth goal of the season and Marcus Thuram (35th) gave Gladbach the lead. The strong VfB captain Wataru Endo (38th) and Chris Führich (51st) equalized, then Kalajdzic scored the redeeming victory.
There was a lot at stake for both teams. “We have an incredibly uncomfortable situation,” said Gladbach coach Adi Hütter before the game on “Sky”, “it’s about getting out of there as quickly as possible.” His Stuttgart colleague Pellegrino Matarazzo received support from sporting director Sven Mislintat and promised: “We want to leave everything on the pitch.”
That’s what the pros did. VfB made the game, but Gladbach first scored the goals. After Borna Sosa (10th) and the conspicuous Tiago Tomas (12th) had missed the best chances, Pléa struck after a fine one-two with national player Florian Neuhaus.
VfB Stuttgart is rewarded for the urge phase
For a long time, that remained the only serious attack by the weakened guests. VfB, on the other hand, continued to work undeterred, but Sasa Kalajdzic missed the possible equalizer with a header (24th). The 0:2 finally turned the game upside down: Pléa served Thuram at the far post, who pushed in in front of Sosa.
After that, the 25,000 fans heard a few calls of “Matarazzo out”. A catastrophic misguided pass by Rami Bensebaini, who will miss the Foals in the upcoming home game against Hertha BSC after a violent kick against Kostas Mavropanos, brought the connection: Endo took the ball straight away in the box. Bensebaini was also the inspiration for the 2:2 when he deflected a Kalajdzic shot so that Führich headed into the empty goal.
After that, Gladbach staggered through the ring at times like a battered boxer. Tiago Tomas missed the huge opportunity for Stuttgart’s lead when he shot freely in the penalty area, but the good Yannick Sommer made a brilliant save (67′). In one of the few counterattacks by the guests, Neuhaus failed at VfB keeper Florian Müller (70th).
Stuttgart pushed for the winning goal – and were rewarded with Kalajdzic’s second goal of the season.