VfB Stuttgart
| 1-0 | Harnik | (23. Min) |
| 2-0 | Cacau | (54. Min) |
| 3-0 | Harnik | (59. Min) |
FC Schalke 04
| 3-1 | Szalai | (69. Min) |
Cacau
Stats 
Martin Harnik scored twice against Schalke.
Three vital points
The side with the Red-Chest-Ring took on FC Schalke 04 at the capacity filled Mercedes-Benz Arena on Easter Sunday. On match day 31, trainer Huub Stevens‘ men put in a solid defensive display and proved effective in front of goal as they beat the Bundesliga’s third placed club 3-1 (1-0). With all three teams below VfB losing over the weekend, Stuttgart opened up a four point gap on the relegation play-off place.
VfB trainer Huub Stevens made two changes to the eleven that started against Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend, with left full-back Arthur Boka (muscular problems) being replaced by Gotoku Sakai and veteran Cacau getting the nod ahead of youngster Timo Werner.
Early in the game, VfB were well-organised at the back and allowed the visitors from Gelsenkirchen to come at them. Whilst Schalke were unable to create anything threatening going forward, the lads from Cannstatt began to seek a way forward. The first chance for the hosts fell to Daniel Didavi, who fired a free-kick just over the crossbar from 30 meters out (16’). A further free-kick for VfB in the 23rd minute was then to prove ultimately more effective. Daniel Didavi swung in a delivery from the right and found Martin Harnik, who rose highest and headed home to make it 1-0 – much to the collective joy of the sold-out Mercedes-Benz Arena. With 36 minutes on the clock, many of the VfB fans were off their seats and ready to celebrate again, when Ibrahima Traoré burst down the left and fired a cross square to Cacau, who went sliding in but failed to make a clean connection – sending the ball over the bar from point blank range. Schalke’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had a chance to level before the break, but narrowly failed to make contact with the delivery and thus, Hubb Stevens‘ eleven took their advantage in at half-time.
Quote for the game
Ibrahima Traoré: "It was important for us to battle hard, shore things up at the back and also get the goals when going forward. We made very good use of our chances today. It was an important step towards survival, because we won and our direct relegation opponents didn’t.”
Post match comments
Fourth consecutive home win against Schalke
During the phase shortly after the re-start, the fans were treated to much the same as they had seen in the first half, with VfB compact and defiant, leaving Schalke little room to create anything of interest in front of Sven Ulreich’s goal. Steven’s men didn’t create a great number of clear openings, but the bulk of what came their way was used efficiently. In the 54th minute, Ibrahima Traoré swung in a cross from the right for the unmarked Cacau to comfortably head past the S04 keeper and increase his sides lead to 2-0. Just minutes later, the fans in the arena were up and cheering again. Gotoku Sakai dribbled through to the by-line before slotting a pass back towards the penalty spot, where Martin Harnik was perfectly placed to turn the ball into an empty net and open up a three goal cushion for the hosts (59’).
Schalke reacted well to the renewed setback and reduced the deficit to 1-3 through substitute Adam Szalai in the 69th minute. Sven Ulreich was then called upon to rescue his sides two goal advantage, saving excellently from a Kevin-Prince Boateng header (71’). The visitors thought they had pulled back another goal from the resulting corner, but the ball had already gone out of play before Szalai stuck it in the net and referee Günther Perl correctly disallowed what would have been S04’s second. At the other end, Martin Harnik could have added his third of the game, but slammed his shot just wide of the upright.
With time ticking against them, the guests pushed to find a way back into the game, but there was little doing against a well-drilled VfB defence, that were fired on by the ecstatic crowd for every successful action. The ‚Cannstatt-Boys‘ stood strong until the end to secure three enormously important points in their bid to remain in the top-flight.
