FC Kopenhagen
VfB Stuttgart
| 0-1 | Ibisevic | (76. Min) |
| 0-2 | Harnik | (90.+2. Min) |
Andreas Cornelius
Stats 
Cristian Molinaro was back in the starting eleven
VfB are now also back on track in the Europa League. Thanks to a 2-0 win away to FC Copenhagen, Stuttgart move up into second place in the table – a position which would see them progress to the next round. Vedad Ibisevic and Martin Harnik were on target in front of a crowd of 24,681 in Copenhagen.
Bruno Labbadia made two changes to the side for the game at the Parken Stadium, where 2,000 VfB fans had made the trip to see their side in action. Cristian Molinaro was introduced in place of Arthur Boka and Shinji Okazaki got the nod ahead of Raphael Holzhauser. Right from the start, VfB looked to put on the pressure but found themselves up against an equally determined opponent.
Chances a rarity
On the whole, the Stuttgart flow was ruined by a lack of precision, poor passing and problems with their footing on a newly laid surface. Both defences looked solid and openings were few and far between, leading to the score remaining at 0-0 as the sides went into the half-time break.
VfB Director of Sport Fredi Bobic: "This is a super result for us and we deserved the win." Post match comments
VfB up the pressure
VfB raised their game and ultimately the pressure in the second half, with the first signs of life coming in the form of a curled effort from Christian Gentner which the FC keeper had no problems dealing with (61’). Two minutes later, Serdar Tasci rose to meet a corner from Traoré, but was unable to find the target. The Guinean was soon after replaced by Arthur Boka (64’).
Ibisevic breaks the deadlock
The guests then had their first chance of the second period, when Thomas Delaney climbed to meet a delivery from the right which he headed narrowly wide of the post (65’). As the rain began to pour down heavily in Copenhagen, VfB looked to press forward but continued to lack the necessary precision.
Firstly Arthur Boka tried his look from 30 meters out, but prove off the mark (75’) but just a minute later, the Ivory Coast international was to prove provider, launching a cross into the box, for Vedad Ibisevic to rise and head VfB into the lead. The goal meant Copenhagen had to open up at the back in search of an equaliser and leave space for VfB to operate in.
Shinji Okazaki made use of some of that space to go on a solo run but the Japanese international’s shot was stopped by Kim Christensen in the FC goal (83’). In the 87th minute, the VfB attacked was replaced by Zdravko Kuzmanovic and the Serbian international was involved just in time to see Martin Harnik check inside his marker and bend the ball home from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 (92’). The deserved win saw VfB take their 155th point in the Europa League, overtaking HSV as Germany’s most successful Europa League side.
