After 2: 2, VfB continues to dream of staying up in the league

Created: 05/08/2022, 19:52

Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo (M) from Stuttgart and Hiroki Ito (r) talk after the game.

© Matthias Balk/dpa

Thanks to Sasa Kalajdzic, VfB Stuttgart can still hope for direct relegation in the Bundesliga.

The Swabians fought a 2-2 (2-1) draw at German champions FC Bayern Munich on Sunday, reducing the gap to Hertha BSC to three points.

However, the lead of the table is 16.

also on the penultimate Arminia Bielefeld only three points.

Stuttgart - "We would have liked to screw them up completely, to be honest.

I also think that if you look at the second half, we can be rather dissatisfied with the 2-2 win.

But we like to take the point with us.

You can celebrate and we may also have the opportunity to put Hertha under pressure with three points next week," said VfB sports director Sven Mislintat on DAZN.

The passionately fighting and briskly counterattacking guests led early through Tiago Tomás (8th) and were able to equalize shortly after the break with a header from center forward Kalajdzic (52nd).

Coach Pellegrino Materazzo's team could have scored three times, but failed to convert their chances.

In front of 70,000 spectators in the sold-out Allianz Arena, Bayern cheered Thomas Müller (44th) to make it 2-1 after an own goal forced by winger Serge Gnabry from VfB defender Konstantinos Mavropanos (35th minute).

After the game, the Munich team was presented with the championship trophy.

On the last day of the game, there will be a big relegation final: Hertha BSC, in 15th place, has to tremble despite being three points ahead of the Swabians;

FC Augsburg, on the other hand, is saved early.

On the last day of the game, Stuttgart (30 points) receive 1. FC Köln.

The Berliners have to compete in Dortmund (33 points) - and with the clearly worse goal difference.

Theoretically, however, the Stuttgart team could also be overtaken by Arminia Bielefeld (27 points) and relegated directly.

But Arminia would need a football miracle for the relegation with seven goals behind VfB and three points less.

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After the final whistle, Bayern captain Manuel Neuer received the championship trophy from the new league boss, Donata Hopfen.

"It was a fixed point to win the tenth German championship," said Bayern boss Oliver Kahn before the kick-off on the streaming service DAZN.

In the penultimate game of the season, the Munich team only played masterfully in a few moments, for example when scoring goals.

Agile Gnabry scored Mavropanos' own goal (35') with a strong individual action, which extended the national player's shot into the net.

And Thomas Müller documented his value for the record champions a few days after his contract extension until 2024 when he made it 2-1 after a pass from Dayot Upamecano with a fine ball acceptance, turn and shot with the left foot (44th).

Record champion Müller (eleven title wins) also hit the bar (12th).

Scorer Robert Lewandowski also hit the crossbar (76').

Above all, the people of Stuttgart had to struggle with themselves.

The Bayern defense around the youngster Tanguy Nianzou, who was completely indisposed until he was substituted after a good hour, offered them a lot, not only with the fine opening goal of the Portuguese Tomás, who courageously shot from 16 meters on preparatory work from offensive colleague Omar Marmoush.

23-year-old Marmoush could have been the man of the first half.

The Egyptian ran away from Nianzou several times and had two top chances, which he missed (6th/23rd).

At the break, the once treated and obviously battered asset Marmoush was replaced by Omar Mangala.

After the break and the 2-2 equaliser, VfB had to do a balancing act.

On the one hand, there was always a risk of conceding a goal.

On the other hand, there was a chance to defeat the vulnerable Munich.

Immediately after his header, Kalajdzic missed the greatest chance in front of national goalkeeper Neuer (53').

In added time, Bayern's Kingsley Coman saw the red card for an assault.

dpa