In dire need, VfB Stuttgart has climbed back to safety and has its fate in its own hands. Sebastian Hoeneß’s team seized the opportunity after the competition lost points, won 4-1 (1-1) at FSV Mainz 05 and sent a clear sign of life in the relegation battle.
At the final whistle, Sebastian Hoeneß jogged onto the pitch with a big grin, 5,000 Stuttgart fans sang “Oh, how beautiful that is” in their corner. The VfB celebrations after the 4-1 win in Mainz felt as if they had already managed to stay up. He’s not that yet – but the Swabians have climbed to the saving bank in dire need and are taking their fate back into their own hands.
“It’s just mega,” said Chris Führich in the DAZN-Interview, the stones just tumbled from the soul: “This victory is extremely important. We are very happy, we have taken an important step and will do everything in the coming week to fix it.”
Thanks to the goals of captain Wataru Endo (41st), Serhou Guirassy (64th), Führich (78th) and Tanguy Coulibaly (90th + 1), a win against TSG Hoffenheim is enough to stay up in the league – and yet a heart-stopping final threatens . Marcus Ingvartsen (23rd) put Mainz in the lead, but FSV had to bury its hopes in Europe after the fourth defeat in a row.
Mainz opening goal shakes Stuttgart awake
After the results of the competition, it was already clear that the horror scenario of relegation for the Swabians could not yet occur on Sunday. Hoeneß stressed that he sees his team prepared for the final sprint. But the pressure on the Stuttgarters was noticeable at the beginning. The defense was stable at first, but the Swabians made slight mistakes before the break.
When Mainz improved, Stuttgart immediately had problems. Goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow made a strong save against Karim Onisiwo (22′), but the entire VfB defense fell asleep in the following corner – and Ingvartsen pushed in from close range.
The backlog acted as a wake-up call. The people of Stuttgart made an effort and were much more actively looking for a way forward. Except for a tricky scene in which FSV keeper Finn Dahmen was in front of Serhou Guirassy (29th), the shots initially remained harmless. After a counterattack via the fast Silas, Endo completed the shot at full speed, which is worth seeing.
VfB Joker Führich brings momentum and scores
Stuttgart started the second round cautiously, but then improved from minute to minute. Bredlow was initially challenged against Edimilson Fernandes (59′), but VfB was immediately rewarded for a short period of pressure. Free-standing, Guirassy headed in after a corner.
The approximately 5,000 supporters who traveled with them drove their team further forward, the substitute Führich brought momentum again – and it was he who caused great cheering in the fan block with the third goal. Defensively, the Swabians threw themselves into every ball in the final phase, then Coulibaly also scored and drew a heart in the air.
FSV Mainz 05 – VfB Stuttgart: The voices of the game
Bo Svensson (FSV Mainz 05 coach): “It was an even first half. We had the better chances to score. We started okay after the break too. After the 2-1 draw, Stuttgart were better and we dropped our heads. We conceded too many goals in the fourth game in a row. If you concede goals like that, you can’t keep up in the Bundesliga.”
Sebastian Hoeneß (coach VfB Stuttgart): “We are very, very happy. There was a lot of pressure today. We took the first step. We have to assess the situation really well. It will be very important to take the second step as well. It’s in our own hands. The experience the lads had last year certainly won’t hurt.”
FSV Mainz 05 – VfB Stuttgart: The data for the game
