VfL Wolfsburg
| 1-0 | Rodriguez | (38. Min) |
| 2-0 | Diego | (53. Min) |
| 3-1 | Perisic | (78. Min) |
VfB Stuttgart
| 2-1 | Werner | (57. Min) |
Konstantin Rausch
Stats 
Thomas Schneider during the game against Wolfsburg.
Thomas Schneider made two changes to his starting eleven from the game against Hannover 96 (4-2). Captain Christian Gentner returned from a knee problem to take his place in midfield, whilst Georg Niedermeier started in the back four in place of the injured Daniel Schwaab, who was forced out with a knee problem.
VfB were aggressive right from the kick-off, closing down the play high up the park and preventing the opponents from creating anything of real significance. Anything that did make its way through towards Sven Ulreich’s goal was comfortably dealt with by the keeper – as in the sixth minute, when Ulreich made a stunning save from a Maximilian Arnold effort. The attacking duo of Vedad Ibisevic and Timo Werner were lively and caused a constant interruption to Wolfsburg’s opening play.
The two front men were the cause of the biggest talking point in the first half. Vedad Ibisevic played a pass from the left to Timo Werner, who paced past Robin Knoche and fired on Diego Benaglio’s goal from eleven meters out. The VfL keeper got a foot to the ball, which was apparently over the line as Robin Knoche got back to clear – or was it? Referee Deniz Aytekin allowed play to continue and, in doing so, denied VfB a seemingly legitimate opener (30‘).
There were no doubts just minutes later though, when VfL defender Ricardo Rodriguez fired in a free-kick delivery, which eluded friend and foe to land in the back of the Stuttgart net (38’). The hosts held on to take their narrow lead into the half-time break.
Vedad Ibisevic: "I’m really frustrated that we didn’t score the equaliser that we really deserved to get."
Post match comment
Chances aplenty, no rewards!
Thomas Schneider’s men made a brave and attacking start to the second period, but the net was to be left bulging at the other end, as VfL took a 2-0 lead, which was not without an element of controversy.
A powerful free-kick from Wolfsburg‘s Naldo struck Martin Harnik’s arm in the wall, as the Austrian attempted to protect his body. Referee Deniz Aytekin awarded another free-kick, which Diego converted directly to make it 2-0 for VfL (53‘).
Thomas Schneider had an almost immediate answer though, as Timo Werner fired home a volleyed effort in the 57th minute to make it 1-2. Just four minutes further on, VfB came agonizingly close to equalizing, with Vedad Ibisevic getting to within centimeters of making a connection with a Gotoku Sakai cross (61‘). In the 74th minute, Werner was denied from close range by Diego Benaglio, who also got fingertips to a Christian Gentner effort soon after (76‘).
The home side had more luck with the few openings they managed to create in the second half and substitute Ivan Perisic increased the Green-Whites advantage to 3-1 in the 78th minute. There was to be no way back for VfB, who ended their final competitive game in 2013 with a negative result.
