Points snatched at the death in 3-2 defeat to Stuttgart

Levent Aycicek shoots with three Suttgart players around him (photo: nph)
First Team
Sunday, 12.04.2015 / 22:35

After a dramatic final few moments, Werder Bremen suffered their first away defeat of 2015 on Sunday against Stuttgart. In front of 51,330 spectators in Stuttgart's Mercedes-Benz-Arena, the Green-Whites were beaten by hosts in the dying moments as Daniel Ginczek's injury time goal sealed a 3-2 victory. Christian Gentner's 15th minute opener for Stuttgart was cancelled out by Davie Selke's equaliser in the 50th minute. Ginczek scored the first of two with 20 minutes to go, but it seemed like Jannik Vestergaard had rescued a vital point for Bremen, only for Ginzcek to spoil the party in the 90+1st minute. Werder missed the chance to jump up to seventh in the league but remain eight points clear of the relegation zone in ninth place.

Line up and formation: Manager Viktor Skripnik made changes to the team that drew with Mainz last weekend. Lukimya started alongside Vestergaard in defence, whilst Prödl was out due to suspension. Captain Fritz and Junuzovic were also back in the starting XI. Kroos started on the bench, as did Selke, with Bartels preferred in attack.

Selke cancels out Gentner's opnener

Clemens Fritz battles with Christian Gentner. (photo: nph)

Match highlights:

4th min: Stuttgart's right back Klein finds the head of Gentner with a cross, but his looping effort doesn't quite hit the target and lands on the top of the goal net.

7th min: Junuzovic‘s misses the target with curling free kick from 25 yards.

15th min: Goal. 1-0 to Stuttgart.
Kostic's cross seems to hang in the air forever and Sternberg beats Harnik to the header, but his clearance falls to Stuttgart captain Gentner, who hits a sweet 20 yard volley past the helpless Wolf.

30th min: Great chance for Sternberg - Aycicek feeds Werder's left back whose shot from the edge of the box is just wide of the goal.

35th minute: Close shave for Bremen. Werder fail to clear a Stuttgart corner, Klein puts in another threatening ball for Harnik, who turns Bartels and aims a shot to the top right hand corner, missing by inches.

43rd min: Screamer from the captain. Nobody closes down Fritz inside the Stuttgart half, inviting him to shoot from a good 35 yards. The fizzed shot whistles past the left hand post denying a wonder equaliser for Werder. What a shame!

50th min: GOOAAAAALLLLL! Davie Selke scores equaliser for Werder.
Five minutes after coming on for Bartels, Selke scores with a super header from 12 yards into the left hand corner. Almost as good as the goal is the super work from Clemens Fritz in the build up. He receives the ball from Dié in his own half and bursts down the right before delivering a perfect cross for Selke in the box.

Dramatic closing stages - late blow

Everyone thought Vestergaard had rescued a point for Werder. (photo: nph)

61st min: VfB almost retake the lead. Ginczek breaks clear from two Werder players and squares the ball to Harnik, who leans back and fires over the top of Wolf's goal.

62nd min: Werder are really pushing their luck now. Kostic's drilled ball across the six-yard box finds an unmarked Harnik at the back post, but somehow he puts his volley from point-blank range wide of the target.

70th min: Stuttgart are back in front. Daniel Ginczek is the man who makes it 2-1. A long ball towards Harnik, Wolf comes out but misjudges the situation, allowing the Stuttgart man to cross into the middle where Ginczek heads into the empty net.

78th min: Good chance, very similar to the earlier equaliser. Fritz crosses from deep, this time finding Di Santo, but his header goes wide of the target.

84th min: RED CARD for Martin Harnik. He is shown a second yellow card for a late challenge and is sent for an early bath. Werder will see out the game with a man advantage.

86th min: GOOOAAAALLLL! That's 2-2, Jannik Vestergaard the scorer. Werder don't waste time making the most of the extra man. Junuzovic's corner is delivered brilliantly and Vestergaard rises highest to head past Ulreich.

91st min: Noooo! Bremen find themselves behind again. Daniel Ginczek makes it 3-2. Dié drives forward and plays an inch-perfect pass into the path of the striker, who gives Vestergaard the slip and slots home. Unbelievable.

93rd min: Final whistle. Werder can't muster another response and are beaten after a dramatic ending in Stuttgart.

Summary: Bremen returned from the interval with the right mindset and made a real statement through Selke's goal, something that never really looked like coming in the first half. However, Werder allowed the deadly and determined Stuttgart side regain the initiative. After Harnik missed two sitters, Ginczek made no mistake when the chance came his way. SVW didn't let their heads drop though and were able to call on their strength from set pieces on more time. But just as the away point looked to be in the bag, the hosts found another decisive hole in the Bremen defence and punished them.

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