Bitter VfB evening: Late brace sealed 1:2

Created: 02/25/2022Updated: 02/26/2022 08:16

Hoffenheim's Sebastian Rudy (l) and Stuttgart's Tiago Tomas fight for the ball. © Uwe Anspach/dpa

Up until the 85th minute, VfB Stuttgart could dream of an eminently important win in Hoffenheim - and ended up empty-handed.

In the Bundesliga relegation battle it was the next setback that was difficult to digest.

Sinsheim – Even coach Pellegrino Matarazzo could hardly console the stunned VfB Stuttgart players after the next late blow.

Hoffenheim's match winner Christoph Baumgartner, on the other hand, cheered after his brace to make it 2-1 (0-0) for TSG with clenched fists and an open mouth.

Relegation-threatened VfB were in the lead for a long time thanks to a goal by Wataru Endo in the 58th minute at national rivals.

But Baumgartner made sure in the 85th and 90th minute that the Swabians have been without a three-pointer in the Bundesliga for nine games now.

This means that the Stuttgart team remains second to last in the table and must continue to fear having to take the next step into the second division after 2016 and 2019.

"It's brutally bitter today.

If you cannot take three points, then you must at least take the point.

We didn't manage that again," said Pascal Stenzel on the DAZN streaming service and stated: "I think we became passive towards the end." Matarazzo was just as disappointed: "We played well for so long.

It's extremely difficult to take," said the VfB coach.

In front of 18,099 spectators in the Sinsheim stadium, which was not sold out - 22,000 were allowed - Hoffenheim, on the other hand, made the leap to a place in the Champions League.

TSG have already scored 21 points this season after falling behind.

"What we finally deliver is sensational," said Baumgartner, praising the team spirit.

"Of course it's a dream of ours to play in the premier class next year.

It's still early to think about it now," added international David Raum.

The 2200 VfB fans in the away corner made a hell of a racket to support their battered team.

Borna Sosa was also out of the Stuttgart team with a bruised knee.

The not quite fit goalscorer Sasa Kalajdzic initially sat on the bench.

The first big chance for the initially superior TSG was missed by Pavel Kaderabek with a header - and then the game really picked up speed.

Within less than two minutes, the ball crashed into both sides against Alu: First, Chris Führich hit the Hoffenheim post (19') after a counterattack from close range, then Kaderabek hit the crossbar of the VfB goal.

However, his captain Benjamin Hübner should have headed the 1-0 lead just before that.

A week after the bitter 1-1 draw against VfL Bochum with the equalizer in injury time, the Stuttgart team showed the right reaction.

Omar Marmoush, in particular, caused a stir from the right and tested goalkeeper Oliver Baumann with a solid shot after half an hour.

In the 43rd minute, Hoffenheim celebrated an alleged goal from Hübner.

But referee Matthias Jöllenbeck rightly annulled the goal after consulting his video assistant Tobias Stieler.

The VfB fans in the stands immediately rolled up their banner “Abolish video evidence”.

Matarazzo gave a hopeful signal for the VfB supporters when Kalajdzic came on after the break.

Hoffenheim first had to cope with the loss of Dennis Geiger, who was carried off the field in a daze.

Stuttgart took advantage of the momentary confusion and the corner kick: Kalajdzic headed it up and Endo was there at the far post to make it 1-0.

The persistence of Hoffenheim was then rewarded: Baumgartner scored with a flick to equalize and even followed up with a lot of force.

dpa