VfB Stuttgart lost their third pre-season friendly in preparation for the 2017/2018 Bundesliga season, losing out 1-2 to 1. FC Heidenheim at the Voith-Arena. The goal for the Wasenelf was scored by Chadrac Akolo.
In front of a crowd of 6,200, VfB, decked out in their new black kit, controlled proceedings over long periods of the first-half. A well-played pass from Dzenis Burnic in the 24th minute was to duly lead to the Cannstatt Boys taking the lead, as Chadrac Akolo took on the ball and fired home a low, right-footed shot. Five minutes later at the other end of the park, Robert Glatzel met a corner delivered by Marc Schnatterer to equalise for the hosts (29‘) and the sides went in at the break locked at 1-1.
Soon after the re-start, Marc Schnatterer went close with a drive from distance, but it was to prove another set-piece which would put Schmidt’s eleven in the driving seat. The provider was once again Marc Schnatterer, whose free-kick delivery into the area found Timo Beerrmann – 1-2 (58‘).
FCH subsequently claimed the Max Liebhaber Cup against VfB for the first time, with the Cannstatt Boys having decided previous clashes in 2013 and 2014 in their favour.
VfB head-coach Hannes Wolf on the friendly: "It was the pre-season dress-rehearsal for Heidenheim today. We had been training very hard prior to this match and we were also without two central defenders, which had an effect on our formation in the second-half. We had some decent openings but we failed to make them count. The second-half was quite scrappy, which was the result of the formation changes. There are obviously defeats which hurt more, but we still would have liked to win today."
First-half:
Zieler – Zimmermann, Baumgartl, Kaminski, Insua – Burnic, Ofori – Asano, Özcan, Akolo – Ginczek
Second-half:
Langerak – Zimmer, Grgic, Werner, Ailton – Green, Gentner, Donis, Mangala, Brekalo - Terodde