After 55 minutes, Stuttgart’s player flies, and later the coach
1. FC Köln remains undefeated this season. Despite a long majority, it was only enough for a draw against Stuttgart. VfB had great chances to take the lead, especially at the beginning, but despaired of the outstanding Marvin Schwäbe.
AWhen the final whistle finally blew, the Stuttgart players knew where to run. After more than five minutes of stoppage time, they had booked one more away point on their account, and Florian Müller had made it possible in the end.
The goalkeeper accepted the thanks of his teammates after he had defused the powerful shot from Cologne’s Jan Thielemann from 20 meters with a last strong save (90 + 4).
“Insanity. insane. Incomprehensible. I saw the ball in there and thought: great, now we win here 1-0. He thinks it’s great,” praised Cologne’s player Luca Kilian. In general, it was the goalkeepers who left their mark on the game and with their performances ensured that both 1. FC Köln and VfB left the stadium with a point but without scoring.
Important guarantee of points: Steffen Baumgart can rely on goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe this season
Quelle: Getty Images/Alex Grimm
Three days after moving into the group stage of the Conference League, FC remained unbeaten in the league but were held to a draw for the third straight season. And VfB also drew for the third time on Matchday 4, but lost the other game and are therefore still without a win.
On Sunday, the Swabians were closer to success, but failed again and again due to the outstanding Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe. And the red card against Luca Pfeiffer (56th). VfB coach Pellegrino Matarazzo later also saw a second yellow card (72′). In the fourth game, the Cologne team benefited for the third time from an opponent’s dismissal, but despite being outnumbered by more than half an hour, they didn’t manage to win their second win of the season.
Unusual perspective: Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo (1st row, M) follows the game from the stands
Source: dpa/Rolf Vennenbernd
“We had the game under control until we were sent off. But we weren’t precise enough and Schwäbe made a good save. And in the end Flo saves us this undeserved point,” summarized Stuttgart’s sporting director Sven Mislintat correctly.
Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart made five changes to his starting XI from a 3-0 midweek win in the second leg of the play-off at Fehérvár FC. Nevertheless, the guests seemed much fresher at the beginning and had three decent chances in the first five minutes through Wataru Endo after 22 seconds, Silas (4th) and Konstantinos Mavropanos (5th). The Cologne team also had to put up with two injuries early on. Mathias Olesen had to leave the field after 17 minutes, Jeff Chabot played on until the 52nd despite an injury sustained after four minutes with a bandage on his head, which was taped over and over again. Another injury on his left foot finally stopped him.
Cologne’s savior before the break was Schwäbe, who made two excellent saves against Silas (22nd/38th). FC also had two huge chances to take the lead, but captain Jonas Hector, after a free-kick was laid by Ondrej Duda, went completely unmarked from ten meters in the middle of the goal (37′) and Mavropanos knocked Chabot’s turban header off the line (45′). +2).
The second half began with the next chances for Silas – and the next saves by Schwäbe (48th/49th). Then Pfeiffer was rightly red and the chaotic game didn’t change that much because VfB held up well when outnumbered and the tired Cologne team didn’t do enough when outnumbered. In the fifth minute of added time, Müller saved the deserved point for Stuttgart with a brilliant save.
Man of the match: Marvin Schwäbe could not be defeated
Source: dpa/Rolf Vennenbernd
…and in the end, Stuttgart’s goalkeeper Florian Müller kept his goal clean with a brilliant act
Source: dpa/Rolf Vennenbernd
However, the topic of the day was one that was not there at all. Sasa Kalajdzic. Stuttgart’s top scorer was not in the squad. The Austrian, who has been linked with FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the summer, is apparently facing a move to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. That’s why, at his own request, he was absent from the final training session of the Swabian Bundesliga team on Saturday.
“We have come to the conclusion that there is no point in taking him. Because he doesn’t feel free enough in his head to perform on the pitch today,” Matarazzo said of his goalscorer’s absence. The ex-Darmstadt player Pfeiffer got his first start, but his debut ended prematurely after Timo Hübers kicked his ankle.
