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Tiago Tomás celebrates teammate Chris Führich
Photo: IMAGO/Alexander Keppler / IMAGO/Pressefoto Baumann
VfB Stuttgart has stopped its free fall in the Bundesliga for the time being: The 3:2 (1:2) home win against Borussia Mönchengladbach meant the first success in the Bundesliga after nine games in a row without a win.
At first it seemed as if VfB was not up to Gladbach's efficiency: Alassane Pléa converted the first big chance (14th minute), Marcus Thuram the second (35th).
But Stuttgart was rewarded for morale and enthusiasm: Wataru Endo managed to catch up (38'), Chris Führich equalized (51'), and Saša Kalajdžić scored the deserved winner in the closing stages.
From the start, the Stuttgart team showed themselves to be the more committed team: After various half-chances for VfB, it was Tiago Tomás who wrested the first save from Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a hard and well-placed shot (12th).
The first consistently played attack by Gladbach was more successful: Pléa received the ball after a clever one-two with Florian Neuhaus behind the Stuttgart defense and finished dryly to guide the visitors (14th).
Even after falling behind, Stuttgart still had slight field advantages, but hardly any chances to score.
A Saša Kalajdžić header placed next to the goal came closest to equalizing (24'), before the otherwise mostly stable but passive Gladbachers also used their next real attack: Pléa brought the ball flat to the far post via the left, where Thuram from a short distance only had to slide into the template (35th).
Stuttgart equalizes - and misses the chance for more
Stuttgart continued to play forward and had the necessary luck before the goal: Gladbach's Ramy Bensebaini first cleared Endo's feet, whose shot was deflected and deflected (38').
After the break, Führich headed in one of numerous Stuttgart attacks on the second post (51').
The Gladbachers stuck to their passive approach, Tomás failed with the next huge chance on Sommer (67th).
Shortly before the end Kalajdžić put the ball into the far corner for the now overwhelmingly superior Stuttgart (83'), another goal by Omar Marmoush did not count only because of offside.
Despite the success, VfB remains in 17th place with 22 points, Gladbach is in 13th place with five points more.
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