Matarazzo at a loss to explain stuttgart’s latest away win
Berlin, Germany (AFP) — Stuttgart Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo said he was unable to explain his side’s impressive away form after yesterday’s 4-1 win at Augsburg made them the Bundesliga’s joint-strongest team on the road.
Alongside Bayer Leverkusen, who have also won five times and lost once away this season, Matarazzo’s men have a better record than Bayern Munich, who remain top despite losing 3-2 at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday.
“The only difference is that we stay in a hotel,” the 43-year-old Italian American said.
“Perhaps we should consider an overnight stay before our home games too,” he quipped.
“The win does us good, to get back on the right path after two games without a point,” he added as his outfit picked up their first win since last month’s away thrashing of Borussia Dortmund.
Raised in New York to Italian parents, Matarazzo earned a maths degree at Colombia University before moving to Europe, eventually becoming Julian Nagelsmann’s assistant coach at Hoffenheim before taking charge of Stuttgart in 2019.
The visitors took the lead yesterday through Argentine striker Nicolas Gonzalez’s early penalty after Augsburg’s West Ham loanee Reece Oxford fouled Mateo Klimowicz in the area.
The visitors were 2-0 up at half-time after Congolese winger Silas Wamangituka finished a counter-attack with his first goal since netting twice in the 5-1 win at Dortmund.
Augsburg pulled a goal back almost immediately after the break when midfielder Marco Richter fired home from close range after Swiss winger Ruben Vargas prised open the defence.
Stuttgart Captain Gonzalez Castro fired his side 3-1 up on the hour mark when he banged home a long pass to the far post.
Soon after, Richter received his second booking inside three minutes and was shown a red card after accidentally kicking the Achilles tendon of Waldemar Anton.
The Stuttgart defender had the last laugh when his cross to the far post was tapped home by substitute Daniel Didavi three minutes before the whistle.
After two defeats and a draw in their previous three league games, the victory lifts Stuttgart above Augsburg into 10th.
Later, strugglers Arminia Bielefeld climbed out of the bottom three to 15th with a 1-0 win against a lacklustre Hertha Berlin.
After Bielefeld were denied a first-half penalty by the video assistant referee (VAR), winger Reinhold Yabo bagged his first league goal as the hosts took advantage with Hertha briefly down to 10 men following injury to Jessic Ngankam.
Hertha were denied a late equaliser when the video official judged Krzysztof Piatek controlled the ball with the inside of his arm.