No joy in Stuttgart

Stuttgart - VfL Wolfsburg started the second half of the Bundesliga season with a defeat. On the 18th match day of the campaign, the ‘Wolves’ suffered a 1-3 (0-1) defeat away to VfB Stuttgart. A crowd of 37,000 saw Roberto Hilbert (28’), Pavel Pogrebnyak (58’) and Timo Gebhart (87’) seal the points for the home side. Edin Dzeko (65’) was on target, with what proved to be no more than a consolation, for the ‘Wolves’.

On the day, the ‚Wolves‘ were force to compensate for the unavailability of first choice goalkeeper Diego Benaglio (knee problem) and Karim Ziani (on duty at African Cup of Nations) but, in spite of that, started the game well. As the half progressed though, Stuttgart took ever more control of the tie and in the 28th minute deservedly went in front. Sami Khedira nodded on a delivery from Marica into the path of the on-rushing Roberto Hilbert, who, at the back post, drove the ball past the VfL keeper Lenz to give the home side a 1-0 (28’) lead, which they were to take into the half time break.

After the re-start, VfL went immediately in search of an equaliser – but the task of equalising was soon to be twice as difficult! A free-kick delivered by substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic found Serdar Tasci at the back post, and the German international headed across the face of goal for Pavel Pogrebnyak to tap home from close range - 2-0 (58’). In spite of the further set-back, VfL refused to throw in the towel and, in the 65th minute, Edin Dzeko reduced the deficit. Grafite played a pass from Marcel Schäfer on to the Bosnian striker, who curled a shot wonderfully into the top corner from 20 meters out. The ‘Wolves’ pushed once again in search of an equaliser but were to be caught cold by a pacy VfB counter-attack. With the game drawing to a close, Gebhart burst forward and slotted home a shot from 14 meters out to make it 1-3 (87’) and ensure the points, on this occasion, would remain in Stuttgart.


The game at a glance:

VfB Stuttgart: Ulreich - Celozzo, Tasci, Niedermeier, Molinaro - Träsch, Khedira - Hilbert (72' Gebhart), Hleb (56' Kuzmanovic) - Marica (90' Cacau), Pogrebnyak

VfL Wolfsburg: Lenz - Riether, Madlung, Barzagli, Schäfer (72' Johnson) - Josué (80' Dejagah) - Hasebe (68' Kahlenberg), Gentner - Misimovic - Grafite, Dzeko

Goals: 1-0 Hilbert (28'), 2-0 Pogrebnyak (58'), 2-1 Dzeko (65'), 3-1 Gebhart (87')

Yellow cards: Tasci / Madlung  

Attendance: 37,000

Referee: Peter Sippel