Dogged VfB Stuttgart hold on for precious win against Augsburg
VfB Stuttgart climbed off the foot of the Bundesliga table on Saturday thanks a 1-0 win at home to Augsburg.
VfB Stuttgart 1-0 Augsburg
Goals: 1-0 Donis (39')
Stuttgart began furiously, completely overwhelming their visitors in the first 10 minutes as they poured forward in numbers in search of an early goal. However, despite promising openings for Mario Gomez and Anastasios Donis, they were unable to make their dominance count. Augsburg gradually grew into the game and created a couple of chances of their own for Michael Gregoritsch and Ja-Cheol Koo, but it was Stuttgart who broke the deadlock shortly before half-time when Donis casually stroked home from the edge of the box from Andreas Beck's low cross.
Their lead established, Stuttgart were not as adventurous after the interval and sat deeper, inviting Augsburg forward. The guests should have equalised on the hour-mark when substitute Andre Hahn was allowed a free header on the edge of the six-yard box, but he could only direct it straight at Ron-Robert Zieler. Jhon Cordova went close shortly after that as Augsburg turned the screw in the closing stages but they could find no way through a resilient home team, who held on for a vital win in their battle against relegation.
Match stats
- Mario Gomez made his 150th Bundesliga appearance for Stuttgart, while team-mate Dennis Aogo made his 250th top-flight outing overall.Donis made his comeback from injury in this game. He had not played since 29 September, when he scored in a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen.The attacker's goal – his second of the season - was Stuttgart's first shot on target in this game. Gomez is Stuttgart's leading marksman this season with three goals, but hasn't scored in his last six matches (530 minutes). Augsburg enjoyed their most successful spell in Markus Weinzierl's four years in charge (2012-2016), reaching the UEFA Europa League in 2015.This was Stuttgart's first home win under Weinzierl.
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Line-ups
Stuttgart: Zieler – Baumgartl, Kempf, Pavard – Beck, Gentner (c), Ascacibar, Aogo – Gonzalez, Gomez (Thommy 74', Akolo 90+2'), Donis (Insua 46')
Unused subs: Grahl, Castro, Didavi, Sarpei
Absentees: Badstuber (calf), Meyer (knee), Özcan (ankle), Sosa (pelvis)
Coach: Markus Weinzierl
Augsburg: Luthe – Framberger, Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Max – Khedira, Baier (c) – Koo (Hahn 58'), Gregoritsch, Caiuby – Schieber (Cordova 59')
Unused subs: Giefer, Schmid, Ji, Richter, Danso
Absentees: Finnbogason (groin), Götze (concussion), Moravek (fascia)
Coach: Manuel Baum
As it happened