Early setback
VfB Stuttgart drew 2-2 with promoted side Werder Bremen on Matchday 2 of the Bundesliga. The hosts made the better start and took the lead as early as the fourth minute through a Niclas Füllkrug header. Lifted by the lead, Bremen created more good chances in the aftermath, Füllkrug striking the bar with a shot on the ninth minute. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men then came more into the game and equalised when Wataru Endo found the net from around 20 metres out after being set up by Sasa Kalajdzic.
Game turned around
The tempo dropped a little in the second half, although Tiago Tomás had a good chance in the 55th minute but was denied by Jiri Pavlenka from a tight angle. VfB took charge and gained the upper hand in the contest, and completed the turnaround in the 77th minute courtesy of Silas, who kept his cool in front of the Bremen keeper after being played in by Kalajdzic. Silas could have made it 3-1 just a few minutes later from a similar position, but this time Pavlenka saved. VfB kept Bremen at bay until the 95th minute, when substitute Oliver Burke popped up with a late equaliser.
The goals
4th minute (1-0): Anthony Jung sends the ball into the box from the left and finds Füllkrug, who heads Werder in front.
38th minute (1-1): Kalajdzic lays it off for Endo, who finds the corner from around 20 metres out.
77th minute (1-2): Kalajdzic sends Silas through on goal, and the 23-year-old slots it past Pavlenka to put VfB in front.
95th minute (2-2): Mitchell Weiser pokes the ball through to Oliver Burke, who finds space in the penalty area and levels the score in the dying seconds.
Reaction
Pellegrino Matarazzo: “It hurts when you concede the equaliser so late in the game, in a phase in which we had cleared a lot of balls and hardly let them create any chances. In the build-up to that equaliser we weren’t precise enough in our play. Overall, after a slow start, we managed to turn the game around in terms of dominance and the result. With that in mind, I don’t think a win would have been undeserved, but Bremen fought until the end. Our analysis of this game will look at how we can defend a lead in a better and more savvy way. The start of the match will feature too.”
Waldemar Anton: “We lost too many balls in the opening period and that makes it hard to get into the game. But we improved and were rewarded when we equalised at 1-1. After going in front we should have killed the game off. We should have done better in one or two situations and made it 3-1. Their late equaliser is very frustrating.”
