FC Bayern faces pressure from VfB Stuttgart.
Stuttgart is currently in tip-top shape during their match against Augsburg, with Serhou Guirassy contributing significantly. The 26-goal player even manages to set a record for the team.
The top-performing VfB Stuttgart squad, headed by 26-goal scorer Serhou Guirassy, is gunning for second place in the Bundesliga, taking it from FC Bayern Munich after their impressive run in the Champions League. Their recent 1:0 (0:0) victory against Augsburg was followed by a 3:1 triumph over Bayern, propelling them past the 69-point mark set by Bayern at the start of the penultimate matchday.
Guirassy secured another goal in the 48th minute against Augsburg, making it his 26th goal of the season, in front of 30,660 spectators. Augsburg has now lost four consecutive games, leaving them with slim chances for a European Cup spot. Meanwhile, Stuttgart notched their 22nd win of the season, breaking a club record in the Bundesliga. While Bayern can still catch up by winning against VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday, the second-place finish remains intriguing because VfB would then be eligible to compete in the Supercup against Bayer Leverkusen if Bayern also wins the DFB Cup final against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on May 25.
Despite a valiant comeback attempt, FC Augsburg was simply overwhelmed by Stuttgart in a sold-out WWK Arena. Enzo Millot played a long pass to Guirassy, who took it in the air with his right foot and finished it off with his left. In the 88th minute, VfB goalkeeper Alexander Nübel made an outstanding save to prevent a 1:1 from Augsburg captain Ermedin Demirovic.
Trouble brewing for Augsburg
Following Augsburg's last three defeats, involving a total of 11 goals conceded and a 1:5 loss in Dortmund a week ago, their coach Jess Thorup made both tactical and personnel adjustments. Thorup went back to a four-man defense and added additional strength in the midfield to increase compactness. While this certainly improved Augsburg's performance, Guirassy and his Stuttgart teammates still managed to create some promising scoring opportunities. National player Chris Führich missed a chance after a counter-attack (13'), Deniz Undav tested FC goalkeeper Tomas Koubek with a hard shot from a distance (31'), and Koubek was fortunate when a shot from Jamie Leweling deflected off the post (36').
Augsburg did try to make an offensive push, yet was unable to break through Stuttgart's solid defense. Ruben Vargas attempted a free-kick but hit the VfB wall instead (25'). Soon after, he was sidelined due to adductor issues. Arne Maier replaced Vargas as the playmaker. Defender Felix Uduokhai also made two crucial saves.
After taking the early lead in the second half, the Stuttgart fans couldn't resist setting off illegal fireworks in their celebration. The match then turned into a wide-open contest, with Augsburg attempting to launch an attack against the Swabian squad. However, Stuttgart, under the guidance of coach Sebastian Hoeneß, has slowly forged a formidable team that once teetered dangerously close to relegation. 2 3
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Source: www.ntv.de
