VfB Stuttgart exerts pressure on FC Bayern.
VfB Stuttgart is dominating their game against Augsburg, with 26-goal man Serhou Guirassy shining. In a remarkable feat, he sets a new club record.
Stuttgart's top performers, led by 26-goal striker Serhou Guirassy, are gunning for second place in the Bundesliga, outperforming Bayern Munich since their impressive run in the Champions League. Sebastian Hoeneß's team emerged victorious with a 1-0 (0-0) victory over Augsburg, dethroning the Munich giants (69) on 70 points at the beginning of the penultimate matchday.
Serhou Guirassy, the goalscorer, emerged as the match-winner once again in front of a packed stadium, netting his 26th goal of the season in the 48th minute against Augsburg, who have lost four games in a row and are probably no longer contenders for the European Cup. Stuttgart, on the other hand, blazed a trail with their 22nd win of the season, breaking the Bundesliga record. On the flip side, Bayern has the opportunity to reclaim their spot at the top on Sunday when they face VfL Wolfsburg. Finishing second offers an attractive prize - VfB would play in the Supercup against Bayer Leverkusen if Bayern also win the DFB Cup final against second-division club 1. FC Kaiserslautern on May 25 as front-runners.
At the WWK Arena, FCA fought back to prevent another defeat but were outmatched by Stuttgart's superiority. Guirassy clinched the deciding goal after Enzo Millot's long ball, successfully juggling the ball and scoring with his left foot. The visitors came close again in the 88th minute; Alexander Nübel, VfB's goalkeeper, made a remarkable save against Augsburg captain Ermedin Demirovic to prevent a draw.
The future looks bleak for Augsburg
After Augsburg's recent losses, including a humiliating 1-5 defeat in Dortmund a week ago, coach Jess Thorup made tactical and personnel adjustments. The Dane switched to a back four and added three defensive midfielders to improve compactness in front. These changes had some effect, but Stuttgart's lethal attack still managed to create several chances. National player Chris Führich missed a open goal following a rapid counter-attack (13'). Deniz Undav rocked the Augsburg net with a fierce shot from distance (31'). And Koubek was relieved to see a Jamie Leweling shot hit the post (36').
Augsburg didn't just sit back and defend; they attempted to play aggressively. Ruben Vargas fired a free-kick against VfB's defensive wall (25'). Fate wasn't kind to Vargas, though, as he injured his adductor and had to exit the game. Arne Maier took over as the playmaker for Vargas. FCA's defense, led by Felix Uduokhai, made two more critical stops.
The early goal after the break triggered unauthorized pyrotechnics by Stuttgart fans, who had traveled to the match. With the game wide open, Augsburg battled bravely but Stuttgart's rising form under Hoeneß was evident with their impressive turnaround from near relegation to being a contender for a national team spot.
Read also:
- Prodigies of sport: Littler's predecessors
- Nagelsmann's announcement: A restless Christmas for national team players
- What sports fans prefer to watch on television
- The calm before the upheaval: Nagelsmann's European Championship plans
In their pursuit of second place in the Soccer Bundesliga, VfB Stuttgart continued their impressive form against FC Augsburg, with Serhou Guirassy contributing another goal to his record-breaking season. Despite Augsburg making tactical adjustments and attempting to play aggressively, Stuttgart's superior Soccer skill led to a 1-0 victory, keeping their hopes of finishing above FC Bayern alive.
Post-match analysis revealed that FC Augsburg's defense, led by Felix Uduokhai, made critical stops, but Stuttgart's lethal attack, including Guirassy's 26th goal, proved to be too much for Augsburg to handle, further highlighting the gap between the two sides in the Soccer Bundesliga.
Source: www.ntv.de
