Wolfsburg 3-0 Stuttgart
Petrov double keeps the Wolves top
Both teams made a cautious start to the round 13 Bundesliga tie in front of 29,076 (highest attendance of the season) in the VOLKSWAGENARENA on Saturday afternoon. Eric Gerets made two changes to the side which lost so badly in NÜrnberg. Klimowicz came in for the suspended D’Alessandro, and Hans Sarpei played instead of skipper Schnoor. Both teams tried to move forward, but both defences were solid and so there were few chances created until the 30th minute, as Karhan pulled a shot just wide of the left hand post. Towards the end of the first half Wolfsburg started to get on top of their opponent, placed 3rd before the start of the match.
Brdaric at last
Thomas Brdaric, the German international striker without a goal for nine games (832 minutes), broke the deadlock on 42 minutes. Pablo Thiam won the ball off Vranjes in midfield and crossed into the unmarked Brdaric in the box, who finished well with a fine left foot shot. Brdaric and Klimowicz both had chances to double the Wolves’ lead before the break, but failed to do so, and so the Wolves took a slender one goal lead into the break.
All change
The Stuttgart Sammer reacted to the setback by bringing on the veteran midfielder Horst Heldt for the unfortunate Vranjes. Held immediately began to breathe some life into the Stuttgart midfield. Stuttgart began to work more effectively but had no answer to the well organise4d home defence. Occasionally, Simon Jentzsch was threatened by dead ball situations. The Wolves sat back on their lead and waited to counter attack, which turned out to be the right tactic to adopt. A superb back heel by Brdaric into the path of Klimovicz near the half way line began the move which ended in VfL’s second goal on 69 minutes, as Klimovicz played a superb ball into the path of Petrov, who advanced at speed into the visitor’s box, where he outwitted two defenders before finishing superbly with his weaker left foot.
Stuttgart go close
After Cacau hit the bar with a delicate header, which turned out to be the best Stuttgart chance of the match, Petrov grabbed his seventh goal of the season on 76 minutes. A huge 50 metre throw to the half way line by Simon Jentzsch sent Petrov on his way, where he flew past Heldt, and ran half of the length of the pitch before giving Timo Hildebrandt no chance in the Stuttgart goal. Stuttgart gave up after that and the late second half substitute Hrgovic hit the post in the dying moments of the game, but had the shot gone in it would have been only a consolation goal against a rampant Wolves side.
Results go Wolves’s way
VfL Wolfsburg made up for the 0-4 defeat away to Nürnberg last time out, which was described by the Wolves coach Gerets as a „scandalous performance.“ They now stand three points clear at the top of the table, as Schalke who was second in the table before round 13, lost at home to Hertha.
WOLFSBURG: Jentzsch - Rytter, Quiroga, Hofland, Weiser - Sarpei - Thiam, Karhan, M. Petrov - Brdaric, Klimowicz
STUTTGART: Hildebrand - Meißner, Babbel, Stranzl, Lahm - Soldo - Tiffert, Vranjes - A. Hleb - Kuranyi, Cacau
GOALS: 1-0 Brdaric (42.); 2-0 M. Petrov (69.); 3-0 M. Petrov (76.)
Source: wfl-wolfsbur.de
