A good nine months after the spectacular rescue, Stuttgart is again playing a Bundesliga home game against Cologne. The situation of the Swabians is still precarious. The substitute keeper can prove himself again.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – When VfB Stuttgart was just able to stay in the Bundesliga on May 14, 2022 with a goal in injury time against 1. FC Köln, Bruno Labbadia sat on the couch and watched the on television Conference. A little more than nine months later, the Swabians and the people of Cologne meet again in Stuttgart – and this time Labbadia is right in the middle. However, the situation has hardly improved from VfB’s point of view and the euphoria generated by captain Wataru Endo’s goal has long since evaporated.
VfB is again in acute danger of relegation before the game on Saturday (3.30 p.m. / Sky). Under coach-returning Labbadia, who signed on for the second time at the Neckar in December, Stuttgart are still without a win in the league. In the 2-1 draw at SC Freiburg last weekend, they gave up a 1-0 lead for the sixth time this season. No other Bundesliga club has had this happen more often. Only once did VfB not concede a goal. The opponent in the first half of the season was: Cologne (0:0).
Labbadia has had to cope with many setbacks so far. “It’s my responsibility and I have to lead the way,” he said on Thursday. However, the coach lets it be known that he found it difficult, especially after the game in Freiburg, when the defeat was initiated by two decisions by the video referee. “I know about such situations, but it’s not a life as you would like it to be,” said Labbadia.
Judging by the results, the hoped-for effect of the change of coach has not materialized so far. Nevertheless, VfB CEO Alexander Wehrle sees good approaches. “Five games, two points – that’s not enough, no question. But you still have to look at the games as a whole,” he said in an interview with Sky TV. “The side act as a team and are very stable defensively. But they don’t reward themselves. The momentum isn’t in our side. I have no doubts that we will force the momentum and get the points.”
Defender Borna Sosa, who seemed to have caught up, was held back by a bad cold ahead of the Köln game. Tiago Tomás is slowly being introduced and Serhou Guirassy is not yet an option with his adductor injury. After all, all-rounder Nikolas Nartey is available again.
In goal, Labbadia made a decision that was not necessarily to be expected. Although first-choice goalkeeper Florian Müller has recovered from his stomach problems, Fabian Bredlow will be between the posts for the second time in a row against FC. “It wasn’t my intention, but Fabian Bredlow worked for it,” said the coach.
In the fight to stay up and win against Cologne, Labbadia also relies on the emotional component. “The stadium exploded at the time. The team knows the picture with the pitch storm, we showed it to them. We have to bring this positive energy back to the pitch,” he said, looking back on the last-minute rescue last May.
This time, the 57-year-old will not be watching the conference on TV. Labbadia is on the sidelines – and his team is under more and more pressure.
