VfB Stuttgart
| 1-0 | Gentner | (15. Min) |
| 2-1 | Ginczek | (70. Min) |
| 3-2 | Ginczek | (90.+1. Min) |
SV Werder Bremen
| 1-1 | Selke | (50. Min) |
| 2-2 | Vestergaard | (86. Min) |
Antonio Rüdiger
Martin Harnik
Stats 
Christian Gentner scored the opener.
Hard-fought victory
Huub Stevens brought in Antonio Rüdiger alongside Georg Niedermeier in central defence, the 22-year-old making his first appearance since suffering a knee injury against FC Schalke 04 back on 6 December of last year. Timo Baumgartl made way and started on the bench.
Rüdiger and his defensive colleagues were untroubled in the early exchanges as VfB showed intent from the start. Daniel Ginczek met a Florian Klein cross with four minutes gone but his header sailed over. Zlatko Junuzovic responded with a free-kick from 25 metres for the visitors three minutes later, but his right-footed attempt similarly failed to find the target.
By contrast, Christian Gentner’s 15th-minute strike was flawless. The VfB captain let fly from 20 metres and found the bottom right-hand corner with aplomb to open the scoring, his fourth goal of the campaign sending the Mercedes-Benz-Arena into a frenzy. With the bit between their teeth, the hosts continued to pressurise and might well have added to their advantage but for a number of missed chances. Ginczek spurned one of them after Sven Ulreich put him in with a long punt forward, but the 23-year-old dragged his effort wide from the right edge of the penalty area as the scores remained unchanged heading in at the break.
Daniel Ginczek: “We put in a huge performance. Even with a man down and after conceding that late equaliser we still went all out for the win – and the winner was just pure emotion. We had that little bit of luck on our side in the end. We’re still in a relegation place but we’re determined to battle our way out of trouble. That’s what we’re all working towards and everyone has a part to play.”
Post-match quotes
It took just five minutes of second half for Werder substitute Davie Selke to head home the equaliser but VfB soon hit back with further chances of their own. The unmarked Martin Harnik fired over from close range and was again involved moments later, only for another opportunity to go begging in the box.
VfB battling ‘til the last
Those setbacks did little to deter Harnik. The Austrian battled on and played his part as VfB’s restored their advantage, crossing from the right for Ginczek to head home (70’). Harnik’s afternoon came to an end shortly afterwards, though, as Stuttgart were reduced to ten men. The 27-year-old was dismissed for a second bookable offence by referee Günter Perl (84’) and it looked like it might cost the Swabians when Jannik Vestergaard nodded Bremen level with just three minutes remaining.
But the boys from Cannstadt weren’t about to accept their fate as they continued to fight and throw man forward. They were rewarded in the dying minutes in dramatic fashion as Ginczek completed his brace from Serey Dié’s assist. Cue euphoria at the final whistle for the 51,300 packed into the Arena, their relief palpable as Huub Stevens’ side finally moved off the bottom.
