8th matchday VfB series becomes “surreal” – Guirassy’s injury is worrying
Union Berlin suffered its seventh competitive defeat in a row against VfB Stuttgart. photo
© Andreas Gora/dpa
With six wins in a row, VfB Stuttgart is firmly at the top of the Bundesliga. Serhou Guirassy remains a goal guarantee – and still causes worries.
If things are going well at VfB Stuttgart, it can sometimes be enough if the top goalscorer can only play for 29 minutes. At least there was still enough time for Serhou Guirassy to take the lead in a 3-0 (1-0) win at 1. FC Union Berlin. “A lot of things seem surreal at the moment. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself whether it’s really real,” said Maximilian Mittelstädt about the Champions League starter’s clear victory in the end.
Top scorer is injured
Because even without Guirassy, who had to leave the field after 29 minutes with muscular problems, VfB played confidently to victory. “We showed a very good, mature performance and didn’t let anything go wrong,” said Mittelstädt. It is the best start in club history for the club, which narrowly avoided relegation in the past two seasons. Six wins in a row mean second place in the table.
A snapshot – or more? VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß did not want to take over what was a classic for Köpenick on the way to the premier class last season. “Of course we’re sticking to the fact that we’re staying in the here and now. Of course it’s great to be there, but we’ve played eight games now.”
14th goal of the season after eight games
In front of 22,012 spectators in the sold-out An der Alten Försterei stadium, Guirassy scored his 14th goal of the season for coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s team. The Guinea international was the first professional to score 14 goals in the first eight matchdays of a Bundesliga season. Shortly before the end, substitutes Silas Katompa Mvumpa (81′) and Deniz Undav (88′) increased the score.
Especially in the first half, VfB posed big problems for the Berliners with their high pressing. “We had no access to the game at all. We always came a step too late,” said Union coach Urs Fischer. “We could hardly keep the ball at the front.” We heard this all too often from Berlin’s opponents last season. Union and Stuttgart, opponents in the Bundesliga relegation games in 2019, have swapped roles so far this season.
Union on Tuesday against Naples
It is by far the longest losing streak for the Iron Men under coach Urs Fischer and the first time that the team went three first division home games in a row without a point. The Berliners face their next difficult task on Tuesday in the Champions League game against SSC Napoli (9 p.m./DAZN).
And the Swabians? European business has long seemed a realistic goal, but the VfB professionals remain modest. “Even if you win so confidently 3-0 against a Champions League participant, you don’t want to speak directly of a top team. But we have all the qualities to continue winning games like this,” said Mittelstädt. He doesn’t have to pinch himself, said Hoeneß. “I can classify things well. But I know that we are having an extraordinary run right now,” he said.
But a lot will undoubtedly depend on the severity of Guirassy’s injury. “He has muscular problems. We don’t have an MRI here. We will do all the tests that are otherwise available. Then we can say more,” said Hoeneß. “He couldn’t continue playing or didn’t have a good feeling about it. Of course we didn’t want to take any risks.” At least: The 27-year-old was able to join in from the bench when celebrating after the goals in the final phase.
dpa
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