VfB Stuttgart stopped their negative run and won for the first time in six games. Against Mainz, VfB were the better team in the opening phase and responded ice-cold to Mainz’s equaliser after the break.
Even in the 1-2 defeat in Dortmund, Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo had seen that his team believes in “achieving their goals – and wanting to achieve them”. This will was also evident from the start against Mainz. Stuttgart had the first chance of the game when returnee Marmoush (replacing Coulibaly, who was suspended for a yellow card) had a nice run down the left but failed to beat Zentner (3rd minute), who reacted well.
The Mainz team, for whom coach Bo Svensson had brought on Barreiro and Nemeth for Bell (5th yellow card) and Kohr (tendon injury in the thigh) after the 1:1 against Cologne, started much more cautiously. Onisiwo nevertheless fired a first warning shot (17th).
Ito pops up in front and scores
But Stuttgart were more active, coming forward again and again via their agile flanks. Svensson had already suspected that VfB would be very variable before the game – and that’s exactly what happened. After Sosa had released Mangala on the left, the advancing defender Ito appeared next to him and flicked the ball into the far corner for his first Bundesliga goal and the lead (21st minute).
The Swabians almost got the chance to increase their lead just moments later, but referee Matthias Jöllenbeck took back his penalty whistle (Zentner played ball and Mavropanos) after VAR intervention (27th).
Mainz’s answer before the break
Towards the end of the first half, the game was even, but the equaliser came somewhat out of nowhere: After a corner by Boetius, Hack rose highest and nodded in from four metres (39.).
VfB let the equaliser upset them somewhat, mistakes crept in and the offensive play suffered. However, Mainz were unable to capitalise, with Barreiro (42nd) and Oniwiso (43rd) firing just wide of the target.
Sosa with force at the crease
After the break, the visitors were again more active, but failed to make a decisive impact. This time, Stuttgart struck ice-cold: After a fine move, Sosa nailed the ball into the corner from an acute angle – it was also his first Bundesliga goal (51st).
With the renewed lead behind them, the Swabians withdrew and let Mainz take more of the field. The Nullfünfer did not know what to do with it, too rarely a gap opened up in the Stuttgart defence. Distance shots continued to be the method of choice: Boetius’ attempt whizzed just centimetres past the right-hand cross-corner (60th).
Mainz can’t think of anything
VfB broke away from time to time and started excursions into the final third, but lacked consistency there. Even Silas’ comeback after tearing his cruciate ligament did not change anything. The Mainz team tried hard, but simply lacked penetrating power.
And so it remained a narrow 2:1 for VfB, who finally got a win after six games without a win. Mainz, on the other hand, have now waited three games for a win.
