The staggering VfB Stuttgart landed the longed-for liberation at the end of a confused week. After the separation of coach Pellegrino Matarazzo and the search for a successor so far without result, the Swabians won on matchday 10 thanks to the outstanding Silas 4:1 (2:1) in the basement duel of the Bundesliga against bottom VfL Bochum. With that, VfB managed their first win of the season and left the direct relegation zone.
Match winner Silas showed off his muscles and grinned from the bottom up, the happy interim coach Michael Wimmer was hugged by everyone, and the fans celebrated the first win exuberantly. After the long-awaited liberation at the end of a confused week, there was pure relief at VfB Stuttgart.
“It’s a liberating feeling. We’re glad that we have a breakthrough. That was a real solver for us,” said sports director Sven Mislintat on Sky: “These were turbulent days because of the change of coach.”
The Swabians had previously won the basement duel of the Bundesliga against bottom VfL Bochum 4-1 (2-1) thanks to the outstanding Silas. Despite the unsuccessful search for a successor for coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, who was sacked on Monday, VfB have thus secured their first treble of the season and left the relegation zone.
Stuttgart’s Wehrle reveals: talks with two candidates are pending
Silas (3rd, penalty kick and 64th) as well as Naouirou Ahamada (22nd) and Wataru Endo (71st) scored for the Stuttgart team, who ended their historically unique winless series at the start of the season under interim coach Michael Wimmer. The new Bochum coach Thomas Letsch, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first away win, VfL has not won at VfB for more than 35 years. Simon Zoller’s goal (29th) didn’t change that.
In the run-up to the game, the focus was on personnel discussions at VfB. No successor has yet been found for Matarazzo, who was released on Monday. After several coaches are said to have canceled, those responsible are negotiating with two candidates.
“We will hold two talks with the two candidates, who we are convinced will accept the situation and develop VfB further,” said Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle sky.
According to Wehrle (“We will make a decision promptly”), the two applicants have not yet been traded in public. With a view to the speculation about the future of sports director Sven Mislintat, Wehrle stated again that there should be clarity by mid-November. Mislintat’s contract expires at the end of the season.
The approximately 45,000 spectators didn’t have to wait long for the Stuttgart tour. After a strong individual performance by Silas, the Brazilian Danilo Soares fouled the Congolese in the penalty area. The fouled man converted the penalty himself.
The Wimmers team, who had replaced Matarazzo, who was suspended at the time, against Schalke 04 (1-1) at the beginning of September, did not follow up after the lead. The hosts acted too passively. Bochum got into the game better – without creating any chances.
VfB Stuttgart: Silas and Endo put the lid on
In the middle of the first half, VfB took command again – and were promptly rewarded. France’s Ahamada scored after assist from Silas.
The guests were only briefly shocked. When Zoller scored, VfB goalkeeper Florian Müller looked bad. Not much happened until the break.
At the beginning of the second round, both teams hardly managed anything constructive, fighting was trumps. Especially at VfB hardly anything went on the offensive. After almost an hour, Bochum sniffed the equalizer. Gerrit Holtmann was unable to take advantage of the great opportunity (60′).
Silas did better on the other side. Endo made the decision.
VfB Stuttgart – VfL Bochum: The voices of the game
Michael Wimmer (interim coach VfB Stuttgart): “We started the game really well and then deservedly took a 2-0 lead. After that Bochum were more active and the better team. At the beginning of the second half we didn’t do what we had planned either. Bochum was in much better in this phase. Florian Müller kept us in the game with his save against Gerrit Holtmann.”
Thomas Letsch (coach VfL Bochum): “For me, the result doesn’t really reflect how the game went. Overall, we played a really good game, even if it sounds strange after a 4-1 loss. A lot of things were fine, but we played worse than VfB in the key areas. “
