FC Steaua Bukarest
| 1-5 | Costea | (83. Min) |
VfB Stuttgart
| 0-1 | Tasci | (5. Min) |
| 0-2 | Harnik | (18. Min) |
| 0-3 | Sakai | (23. Min) |
| 0-4 | Okazaki | (31. Min) |
| 0-5 | Okazaki | (55. Min) |
Zdravko Kuzmanovic
Stats 
Tasci und Harnik celebrates a goal.
Goals galore in Bucharest
VfB impressed right from the outset and won their penultimate Europa League group game 5-1 (4-0). The win means VfB maintain their chance of taking top spot in the group.
Trainer Bruno Labbadia’s starting eleven: Sven Ulreich, Gotoku Sakai, Serdar Tasci, Maza, Cristian Molinaro, William Kvist, Zdravko Kuzmanovic, Martin Harnik, Christian Gentner, Shinji Okazaki und Vedad Ibisevic.
Early lead through Serdar Tasci
VfB made the perfect start and took an early lead on the night. Not long after the kick-off, Zdravko Kuzmanovic earned his side a corner, which the midfielder delivered from the left. In the centre, Serdar Tasci won the battle and headed home to make it 1-0.
Harnik, Sakai and Okazaki increase the advantage
The home side had their first sight of goal in the 16th minute, but Christian Tanase blasted his effort from distance high over the crossbar. At the other end, Martin Harnik was to prove far more precise just minutes later as the Austrian stooped in at the back post to make it 2-0 (18’). Just five minutes further on, Shinji Okazaki laid the ball back to Gotoku Sakai, who fired his shot home powerfully to make it 3-0 in the 23rd minute. With just over a half-hour on the clock, Gotoku Sakai returned the favour, picking out Shinji Okazaki, who gave VfB a 4-0 lead to take into the break.
VfB coach Bruno Labbadia: "That was a great game and a lot of fun in such an unbelievable atmosphere."
Post match comments
The second half
Christian Gentner remained in the changing room at half time and was replaced for the second period by Tamas Hajnal. The Hungarian international made an immediate impact, firing in a shot on goal just minutes after the re-start (49’). Seven minutes later, Hajnal was involved again, poking a pass through to Shinji Okazaki, who doubled his personal tally and increased VfB’s lead to 5-0.
Consolation for Steaua
In the 83rd minute, the hosts managed to pull a goal back, with Mihai Costea slotting past Sven Ulreich to make reduce the deficit to 5-1. Just before the final whistle was blown, Vedad Ibisevic came close to getting on the score-sheet, with a lobbed effort which the Bucharest keeper dealt with.
As Sven Ulreich made a further good stop from Mihai Costea in the 92nd minute, the score-line remained at 5-1 for VfB at the end of a wonderful night in Budapest. The win sees Bruno Labbadia’s side hang on to their hopes of claiming top spot in the group. With FC Copenhagen managing a narrow win in Molde, VfB will have to keep an eye over their shoulder, with the Danes continuing to threaten for the remaining place in the knock-out stage. VfB’s up-coming opponents at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, Molde, are already out of the reckoning.
