A late goal denied FC Augsburg all three points in Stuttgart. Read on for the post-match reaction following the 2-1 defeat on matchday 12. 

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Florian Niederlechner: “It was an evenly-matched game up until the final minutes, with both sides in control at times. We were the dominant side in the first 20 minutes after the break. In the end, we were too passive and weren’t able to withstand the pressure from Stuttgart. We struggled to clear the ball and then conceded the winner. What frustrates me is the penalty that wasn’t given for a handball. During the game, the referee explained the decision in a way that makes sense, but looking at the footage now, it looks like a clear penalty to me. That would have given us a chance to retake the lead, and the game could have ended much differently. We can’t change it now. Next week, we want to give our fans a win again.”

Fredrik Jensen: “It’s tough to take: first, we have the penalty that wasn’t given for us, and then we conceded in the last minute. This is the second game in a row where we’ve dropped points after conceding late. Tomáš Koubek also made some great saves to keep us in the game, so credit to him. Playing as a right-back was a bit unusual for me, but I try to always give my best no matter where I play. I think we could have taken more from today’s match.” 

Felix Uduokhai: “Of course I’m happy to have made my comeback, but I would have preferred to take the points. Stuttgart pressed us hard, and we weren’t able to withstand any longer. Still, we should have been able to take something from this game.” 

Enrico Maaßen, head coach FC Augsburg: “I think we got off to a good start and scored a nice goal after five minutes. Stuttgart took advantage of their first real chance and scored the equaliser. We were the better team just before and after the break, were in control and could be often found inside the final third. One key moment for me was the penalty that wasn’t given. In my opinion, his hand was in an unnatural position and therefore the VAR should have intervened. That would have been a big chance for us to take the lead, which would have really helped us here in front of a full house. Instead, Stuttgart were able to get back into the game with two set pieces which we cleared on the line. Those moments were the key to the crowd getting back behind Stuttgart. We saw how strong they were from corners and have to settle for a point, seeing as we failed to defend well enough. Today proves that the team wanted to win, but we need to be more compact. Overall, it’s frustrating to drop points late on for the second straight game – we need to be better.” 

Michael Wimmer, head coach VfB Stuttgart: “We didn’t get off to a good start and even though we had prepared ourselves for a physical game, Augsburg were able to take the lead in the fifth minute. The first half was pretty even, with Augsburg maybe having a slight edge, as we were unable to find our way into the game. It took until the 65th minute before we really found our groove, with Wataru Endo’s shot. That gave us the confidence to attack, to create chances and pose a threat from set pieces. We were able to reward our efforts with the winning goal. Looking at the game from the 85th minute onwards, it was a deserved victory for us. We wouldn’t have had reason to complain if the penalty had been given, I have to agree with [Maaßen].”