1. FSV Mainz 05
| 0-1 | Müller [OG] | (48. Min) |
| 1-1 | Müller | (55. Min) |
| 2-1 | Müller | (71. Min) |
| 3-1 | Soto | (90.+2. Min) |
VfB Stuttgart
Nicolai Müller
Stats 
Daniel Didavi in action during the game.
No dream finish
Trainer Bruno Labbadia was forced to make a change to the eleven that began in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Schalke and brought in Antonio Rüdiger, making his starting eleven debut in the Bundesliga, for the suspended Gotoku Sakai. The young full-back made a powerful burst to the by-line in the 5th minute, but Martin Harnik was unable to turn the youngsters pass on goal.
At the other end, Sven Ulreich made an easy save from Andreas Ivanschitz in the 8th minute, but four minutes later, the save, made by the keeper playing his 100th Bundesliga game, from the Austrian striker was anything other than easy. Mainz were slightly the more alert side throughout the first half but never really generated a great deal of pressure on the Stuttgart goal. On the half-hour mark, Rüdiger did well to get back and prevent Adam Szalai from getting a shot away but chances were few and far between and as a result, the sides went in at the break still locked in stalemate.
VfB take the lead
Just minutes into the second period, the approximately three thousand VfB fans amongst the 31,376 in the arena had reason to celebrate. Ibrahima Traoré broke down the left wing and got a cross in to the back post, where Martin Harnik was perfectly placed to head home and hand VfB the lead.
VfB head-coach Bruno Labbadia: "Congratulations to Mainz, they deserved the win" Post match comments
Mainz bounced back quickly and just three minutes after the visitors had taken the lead, Zdravko Kuzmanovic had to get back quickly to clear an effort from Marco Caligiuri off the line. A further four minutes on though, the hosts then equalized. Nicolai Müller sliced his shot and sent the ball spinning in a curve which left Sven Ulreich no chance.
Just minutes later, Adam Szalai broke free with only the keeper to beat but Ulreich stood his ground excellently and denied Mainz the chance to go in front (64’). In the 71st minute though, the VfB keeper was beaten once again. Nicolai Müller latched on to a long ball forward and flicked it over the stranded keeper before heading over the line to make it 2-1 for the home side.
With a little over ten minutes to go, Daniel Didavi made his comeback from a lengthy injury, replacing winger Ibrahima Traoré. VfB threw everything into attack in search of a leveller and came close with a Maza header from a corner but, in added time at the end of the game, Elkin Soto made it 3-1 for the home side and left VfB to return to Stuttgart empty handed. Bruno Labbadia’s men will have the opportunity to end the year on a high when they take on second division 1. FC Köln in the DFB-Cup on Wednesday evening.
