Bundesliga - VfB goes into the break with a club record
Thanks to its goal-scoring duo of Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav, VfB Stuttgart brought its successful soccer year to a successful conclusion and topped it off with a club record. A good six months after being relegated, the Swabians edged past RB Leipzig on Wednesday with a 3-0 (2-0) win over FC Augsburg to take third place into the Christmas break.
Undav (18th minute), Guirassy (45.+1) and Chris Führich (69th) led the hosts to their eleventh win of the first half of the season, which does not end until January. Stuttgart have never had so many wins in the first half of the Bundesliga season - not even in 1991/92, when they became German champions.
The fact that VfB already have more points (34) than at the end of the entire previous season (33) underlines their impressive development. At the beginning of June, the Swabians avoided a debacle in the relegation play-off against Hamburger SV.
FCA conceded their second defeat under coach Jess Thorup in December and remained winless for the third game in a row, but wintered with a reassuring lead over the relegation zone.
After the sobering 3-0 flop at FC Bayern last Sunday, VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß had hoped for a reaction from his eleven - and in front of 53,600 spectators they got to see a highly deserved success against harmless Augsburg. The hosts clearly controlled the game.
The unusually quiet stadium atmosphere, in which the fans continued their protest against the investor plans of the German Football League (DFL) with twelve minutes of restraint, had just ended when the spectators were able to watch dangerous scenes from Undav: First he failed to hit the post after a one-two with Guirassy (13).
Just a few minutes later, things went better and Undav was delighted to make it 1-0 with his assist from Angelo Stiller: a half-height corner from his team-mate reached the free-standing Undav in the five-yard box and the ball flew into the net from the inside of the post. Augsburg conceded at least one goal for the 19th Bundesliga match in a row. And that was not to be the end of the story against the surprise team of the season so far.
Undav's strike partner Guirassy was initially at fault when Jamie Leweling tried in vain to make the save himself - instead of passing to him (34'). The Swabians' top scorer then missed a great chance to score after Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen had his shot deflected in again. However, Guirassy then ran straight at Dahmen after being played in by Undav and took the opportunity to score his 17th Bundesliga goal of the season. Before the game, there had already been speculation as to whether the sought-after striker might play his last game for VfB against Augsburg and move on during the winter break. He was cheered again at the end of the year.
The visitors didn't manage much and didn't make it particularly difficult for VfB. VfB goalkeeper Alexander Nübel had a quiet evening, especially in the first half. That changed promptly after the break when he deflected a long-range shot from Ermedin Demirovic over the crossbar (48'). Philip Tietz's header was not placed enough (67') to really challenge him.
At the other end, Führich made everything clear with a direct shot after a superb pass from Stiller. The hosts could have won even more if they had had more chances - Atakan Karazor's shot hit the crossbar with a quarter of an hour to go.
Bundesliga table VfB Stuttgart squad FC Augsburg squad
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- VfB Stuttgart's success this Soccer year has put Baden-Württemberg in the spotlight, with many fans traveling from other parts of Germany to watch their games.
- FC Augsburg's defeat to VfB Stuttgart was a blow for head coach Jess Thorup, who is trying to turn around the club's fortunes in the Soccer league.
- Angelo Stiller's assist for Chris Führich's goal against FC Augsburg helped VfB Stuttgart secure their club record-breaking win and boost their chances of qualifying for European Soccer.
- Germany's soccer year has been dominated by the Bundesliga, with VfB Stuttgart, RB Leipzig, and Hamburger SV all battling for positions in the top half of the table.
- The German Football League (DFL) has been under scrutiny for its investor plans, with many fans protesting during matches, including the one between VfB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg.
- Soccer fans in Swabia and beyond are eagerly awaiting the second half of the Bundesliga season, with VfB Stuttgart looking to maintain their impressive form and extend their club record.
- Chris Führich's goal against FC Augsburg was reminiscent of his scoring form in previous seasons, which helped him establish himself as a key player for VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
- The Bundesliga's January transfer window is an opportunity for struggling clubs like FC Augsburg to strengthen their squad and improve their chances of avoiding relegation, while top clubs like VfB Stuttgart may look to secure the services of high-profile talent to boost their title challenge.
Source: www.stern.de
