Fährmann and Sane keep Stuttgart grounded
Stuttgart – VfB Stuttgart succumbed to a fifth straight defeat of the season as FC Schalke 04 provided a smash-and-grab performance to win 1-0 thanks to Leroy Sane's solitary strike.
VfB STUTTGART 0-1 FC SCHALKE 04
0-1 Sane (53')
Stuttgart were on the front foot immediately, setting a tone that was to persist throughout the first 45 minutes. All their game lacked was a goal, but it was not for the lack of trying. Timo Werner's curling effort brought the first save out of Ralf Fährmann with Timo Baumgartl, Daniel Ginczek, Christian Gentner and Alexandru Maxim adding their names to the list of Stuttgart players to try and fail to beat the omnipotent Schalke custodian.
There was almost an air of inevitability that Stuttgart would be made to pay for their profligacy, and that is precisely what happened early in the second half. Leroy Sane was sent through and his pace and skill did the rest as he turned Florian Klein inside out before sweeping his shot in. An air-shot from Baumgartl and Martin Harnik close-range miss summed up Stuttgart's day and season so far.
