4th matchday
Guirassy scores three times: Stuttgart also wins in Mainz
Scored three times against FSV Mainz 05: Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy. photo
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
Top striker Guirassy scores again and makes VfB celebrate. After four games without a win, difficult weeks await Mainz – and challenging opponents.
Goal Guarantee Serhou Guirassy gave VfB Stuttgart their next victory in the Bundesliga with a hat-trick and exacerbated FSV Mainz 05’s low.
The attacker, who was in excellent form, scored his sixth, seventh and eighth goals of the season (56th minute/84th/90th+7) in the 3-1 (0-0) win, thus deciding the game, which had only had few highlights at the beginning, in favor of his club.
Guirassy is the first striker in VfB history to score eight goals in the first four Bundesliga matchdays – and is currently the league’s outstanding attacker. “He’s in the form of his life, I think. He’s in an incredibly good mood. We hope that lasts,” said Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß. According to the data service provider Opta, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Peter Meyer set the still valid record with nine goals in the 1967/68 season.
Mainz remain second to last
The Mainz team, trained by Bo Svensson, put on another uninspired performance in front of 30,500 spectators and remain second to last. Leandro Barreiro’s equalizer (70th) wasn’t enough either. Stuttgart showed for the first time this season that it can be done without a big spectacle: the first three Bundesliga games ended 5-0, 1-5 and 5-0. Challenging weeks await Mainz, especially as the next home games take place against top clubs Leverkusen and Bayern.
For many other Bundesliga clubs, a start with a draw and two serious away defeats would have caused anger and debate. Not so in Mainz, where harmony and continuity – especially in the coaching position – are very important. “We are calm, we are relaxed,” said sports director Martin Schmidt before the first game after the two-week international break.
Mainz with a better start
The team seemed like that too. Head coach Svensson only had to replace two players in defense chief Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Branimir Gruda due to health reasons and otherwise trusted the staff from the 4-0 defeat against Bremen. And the Mainz team got off to a better start in wonderful late summer weather. Marco Richter, who was called into the Mainz starting eleven for the first time, had a great chance, but Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel wiped his powerful attempt over the crossbar (9th).
Then the in-form VfB took control. Again and again it was about the lively Enzo Millot, who could sometimes only be stopped with a foul. Millot only made it into the starting line-up because his opponent Woo-yeong Jeong from South Korea was missing from the Asian Games. It was the 21-year-old Millot who initiated the Swabians’ best chance before the break: he impetuously missed a cross pass to Guirassy, and Silas Katompa Mvumpa’s follow-up shot also failed to produce anything.
It was only in the second half that the game became more high-class. Guirassy anticipated a long ball from Waldemar Anton just right this time and lobbed over Robin Zentner, who was rushing out of the goal, to take the lead. The Mainz team now seemed stimulated and improved noticeably – fueled by their own fans and Svensson’s three substitutions.
First Joker Tom Krauss shot at the post. Then Aymen Barkok initiated the equalizing goal from the right, which Barreiro completed with great vehemence in the center after extra time from Karim Onisiwo. But the final point was reserved for Guirassy, who was once again outstanding. When the 27-year-old scored again, there was no stopping the packed guest block. Mainz, including keeper Zentner, threw everything forward – and Guirassy once again completed the final counterattack to make the final score 1:3.