It was 59 minutes and Pellegrino Matarazzo couldn’t get enough. For the felt, but perhaps also for the first time in the second half, FC Augsburg had brought about a sensible relief attack, the Stuttgart defenders were now in their own half and did something they hadn’t done for a long time: breathe a few seconds.
Matarazzo saw that and immediately flailed his arms, calling for speed and pointing to his team’s three attacking players, who were waiting for a pass on the left flank. He obviously wanted VfB Stuttgart to do everything possible without a break to still win this Swabian relegation peak. And his plan should work.
Matarazzo’s team won the game against FC Augsburg 3-2, in the 59th minute it was still 1-2. It was almost exactly the same game as two weeks ago in the home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, even then Stuttgart had turned a gap and even created the position to catch up with FC Augsburg and the other places north of the relegation rank.
Now the Stuttgart team played again in a final, for the first time in front of 60,000 spectators, for the last time with Thomas Hitzlsperger as CEO, who will hand over his office to Alexander Wehrle at the end of March. And once again it was clear from the start that Matarazzo’s VfB was excellently set up and defensively warm but was still vulnerable. Stuttgart stormed wildly and immediately forgot Augsburg’s André Hahn, who converted a cross from Iago directly behind the defense and gave FC Augsburg an early lead in the sixth minute.
Sosa crosses, Anton hits, but Augsburg responds
Stuttgart remained the better team after that: VfB had good chances time and time again, it was just the conversion that was wrong once again – it should have been 25 shots on goal at the end of the game. Unsurprisingly, a header after a cross from full-back Borna Sosa was successful, which Waldemar Anton headed into the goal in the 44th minute to make it 1-1. The well-deserved equalizer released noticeable energy, which, however, met a cool FC Augsburg: Arne Maier dribbled his way into the penalty area against a vigorously struggling Stuttgart team and passed it on to Michael Gregoritsch, who scored in added time in the first half to make it 2-1. “We didn’t defend it sharply enough twice, no question about it,” said Matarazzo on the Sky microphone after the game.
The Stuttgarters, however, did not let their energetic offensive play be dissuaded even by the renewed deficit. Despite being in the lead, Augsburg never managed to keep possession for long periods of time and were increasingly forced onto the defensive in the course of the second half. Daniel Caligiuri was later outraged that “with such a second half” they deserved to lose the game. Augsburg couldn’t relieve themselves, but Stuttgart had the ball, impressive morale, more energy – and ultimately the players who made the difference.
Didn’t give FCA keeper Rafal Gikiewicz a chance: Tiago Tomas.
(Photo: Ralf Poller/Avanti/Imago)
Omar Marmoush made it 2-2 in the 79th minute with a direct free kick. The fact that the Egyptian was allowed to play again after a weak attempt caused teammate Chris Führich to throw a tantrum, but the perfect free kick proved the shooter right. “The boys are mature enough. If he’s convinced, then he should shoot him,” said Matarazzo about the strange scene after the game. Sasa Kalajdzic could have scored the lead a few seconds after the equalizer, but was denied by the strong Rafal Gikiewicz in the Augsburg goal – which Tiago Tomas then didn’t give a chance in the 85th minute.
The Portuguese shot from a short distance into the Kreuzeck even made the otherwise always in control Matarazzo sprint ecstatically along the sidelines to his team. Führich could have increased the lead to 4:2 in injury time, but failed to score in front of the goal. It remained a footnote of the next vital Stuttgart victory in the fight to avoid relegation.
Because despite all the euphoria that arose after the 3: 2: The successful record of seven points from the last three games has led VfB back to 14th place, level on points with Hertha BSC and Augsburg, who still have a catch-up game and therefore could pass Stuttgart again. Nothing in the relegation battle has been decided yet – even if it almost gave the impression that that was the case in the Stuttgart stadium, somewhere between Tiago Tomas, surrounded by cheering grapes, the 60,000 and CEO Hitzlsperger, who was once again happily greeted in the honorary stand.