Teams | February 23, 2014 at 12:57 PM
2-1! Late win in Stuttgart
2-1! Late win in Stuttgart
Substitute Sandro Wagner scored the winner on 87 minutes in Stuttgart.
Stuttgart - Hertha BSC left Stuttgart victorious on Saturday afternoon (22.02.14) after beating struggling VfB Stuttgart 2-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Bundesliga matchday 22. Hertha boss Jos Luhulay welcomed back Nico Schulz to the first team in the place of flu-stricken Skjelbred. The Dutch coach also changed his system. opting for a 4-1-4-1 with Hosogai in front of the back four. Schulz was on the left and Ndjeng on the right. Cigerci and Allagui formed an attacking partnership in midfield. Stuttgart's under-fire boss Thomas Schneider had to replace suspended Moritz Leitner. Former Hertha man Ibrahima Traoré did not make the team unlike last weekend. Those two were replaced by Sakai and Maxim.
Hertha made a blitz start in front of the 40,000-strong crowd. Their first corner found Adrian Ramos, who laid the ball off for Levan Kobiashvili who made no mistake with a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net from a few metres out (4.). Stuttgart threw everything forward in an attempt to end their dismal run of six straight losses. Martin Harnik almost equalised but Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft parried his shot well from an acute angle (11.). The visitors looked tight at the back, but always ready to launch swift counter attacks when the opportunity arose.
Stuttgart level on the stroke of halftime
On 29 minutes Ramos should have made it 2-0 as he broke into the home box. The Columbian then dragged his shot well wide of the right hand upright. Maxim tried his luck from distance but Kraft easily dealt with the slightly deflected effort. Hertha threatened from a corner but the huge contingent of travelling Berliners had their heads in their hands as Langkamp nodded the ball wide of target from a promising position (38.). VfB began to look more dangerous as halftime approached. A cross into the box by Schwaab was well cleared by Pekarik (39.), while Rani Khedira's effort towards the near post was smothered by Kraft (41.). Stuttgart drew level with the final kick of the opening half. Kraft punched a corner out of the immediate danger area, but Artur Boka was lurking 20 metres out to superbly drive the ball home and send the teams into the break (45.).
There were no changes on either side at thre break and the visitors looked determined early on. Five minutes in Ramos found Hosogai in acres of space. But instead of shooting himself he tried to play a fruitless one two, and a superb chance was wasted. As Hertha overran the home side on the counter attack Tolga Cigerci missed the right moment to play a telling pass (55.). Although VfB pressed forward there was a lull in goalmouth action midway through the second half.
What drama! Wagner scores winner and gets sent off
There was more action during the final fifteen minutes as both sides went for broke, knowing that a draw was little use to either team. Stuttgart failed to clear a corner properly allowing Cigerci to get a shot away. Luckily for the home side their keeper Ulreich kept the effort out diving low to his right (70.). At the other end Maxim found Harnik with a floated free kick, but the big striker could only drag his shot wide from point blank range (74.). Sami Allagui then dribbled his way past three defenders only to fail to finish off what was a promising move (76.). Shortly afterwards Sakai tested Kraft from distance (78.). Luhukay brought on Sandro Wagner and John Anthony Brooks for Schulz and Ndjeng. Wagner rose above everyone to nod a Cigerci free kick from the right into the bottom right hand corner of the net (87.). 2-1 to Hertha!
Wagner was not long in play because within a few of minutes he was booked twice and promptly sent off. Luhukay introduced Peter Niemeyer for Ramos, but the score remained the same until the final whistle sounded. The win sees Hertha end their winless streak and move up to seventh place in the Bundesliga table. Next Friday (28.02.14) the team are in action again as they open matchday 23 with a home game against SC Freiburg at the Olympic stadium.
Hertha made a blitz start in front of the 40,000-strong crowd. Their first corner found Adrian Ramos, who laid the ball off for Levan Kobiashvili who made no mistake with a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net from a few metres out (4.). Stuttgart threw everything forward in an attempt to end their dismal run of six straight losses. Martin Harnik almost equalised but Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft parried his shot well from an acute angle (11.). The visitors looked tight at the back, but always ready to launch swift counter attacks when the opportunity arose.
Stuttgart level on the stroke of halftime
On 29 minutes Ramos should have made it 2-0 as he broke into the home box. The Columbian then dragged his shot well wide of the right hand upright. Maxim tried his luck from distance but Kraft easily dealt with the slightly deflected effort. Hertha threatened from a corner but the huge contingent of travelling Berliners had their heads in their hands as Langkamp nodded the ball wide of target from a promising position (38.). VfB began to look more dangerous as halftime approached. A cross into the box by Schwaab was well cleared by Pekarik (39.), while Rani Khedira's effort towards the near post was smothered by Kraft (41.). Stuttgart drew level with the final kick of the opening half. Kraft punched a corner out of the immediate danger area, but Artur Boka was lurking 20 metres out to superbly drive the ball home and send the teams into the break (45.).
There were no changes on either side at thre break and the visitors looked determined early on. Five minutes in Ramos found Hosogai in acres of space. But instead of shooting himself he tried to play a fruitless one two, and a superb chance was wasted. As Hertha overran the home side on the counter attack Tolga Cigerci missed the right moment to play a telling pass (55.). Although VfB pressed forward there was a lull in goalmouth action midway through the second half.
What drama! Wagner scores winner and gets sent off
There was more action during the final fifteen minutes as both sides went for broke, knowing that a draw was little use to either team. Stuttgart failed to clear a corner properly allowing Cigerci to get a shot away. Luckily for the home side their keeper Ulreich kept the effort out diving low to his right (70.). At the other end Maxim found Harnik with a floated free kick, but the big striker could only drag his shot wide from point blank range (74.). Sami Allagui then dribbled his way past three defenders only to fail to finish off what was a promising move (76.). Shortly afterwards Sakai tested Kraft from distance (78.). Luhukay brought on Sandro Wagner and John Anthony Brooks for Schulz and Ndjeng. Wagner rose above everyone to nod a Cigerci free kick from the right into the bottom right hand corner of the net (87.). 2-1 to Hertha!
Wagner was not long in play because within a few of minutes he was booked twice and promptly sent off. Luhukay introduced Peter Niemeyer for Ramos, but the score remained the same until the final whistle sounded. The win sees Hertha end their winless streak and move up to seventh place in the Bundesliga table. Next Friday (28.02.14) the team are in action again as they open matchday 23 with a home game against SC Freiburg at the Olympic stadium.