VfB Stuttgart 1 - 3 Mainz: Stuttgart suffer home loss to Mainz to slide further towards relegation

Posted Sunday, May 08, 2016 by PA

Stuttgart slid even closer towards relegation to the 2. Bundesliga as they went down 3-1 at home to Mainz on Saturday, sparking the anger of their fans in their final home game of the season.

Christian Gentner gave the Swabians an early lead, but a contentious equaliser from Yunus Malli before half-time saw the mood change.

Jhon Cordoba and Karim Onisiwo struck in a strong second-half showing from Mainz to keep them at least mathematically in the hunt for fourth place, and leave Stuttgart needing to win in Wolfsburg next weekend to stand any chance of staying up.

The Mercedes-Benz Arena was full to the rafters for a crucial game in Stuttgart's season, and the roof almost came down in the sixth minute when their captain Gentner connected with Filip Kostic's shot to divert the ball in past Loris Karius.

Given results elsewhere, it was a goal which meant the Swabians were safe, although there was still plenty of time and many twists and turns in the day before anybody would be permitted to celebrate.

Malli brought Mainz level with more than a hint of offside about his position when he turned Onisiwo's cross into an unguarded goal from close range.

There were no doubts about the validity of Cordoba's goal which gave Mainz the lead early in the second half as he lost his marker at the far post to head Fabian Frei's cross back across Mitchell Langerak and in.

Silence was intermingled with a few angry shouts from the Stuttgart fans as they saw their side slip even close towards relegation, the early euphoria now well and truly dissipated.

Instead, the murmurs of discontent grew in magnitude as Langerak kept them in the game with Mainz threatening to run away with it.

They got the third goal their play deserved in the 77th minute when Cordoba provided the assist for Onisiwo to stroke the ball into an open goal, and the whistles became even louder as Stuttgart were left to stare their second relegation from the Bundesliga in the face.