Stuttgart hosted Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundsliga looking to end their recent poor form and move up the table in the latter stages.
After a strong Gladbach start Stuttgart controlled the second half and an own goal from Alvaro Dominguez and a chip from Christian Gentner put them 2-0 up at the break.
In the second half Gladbach pressed but could not break down a stubborn home defence.
Read below how the action unfolded with our live text commentary.
Good afternoon everyone. Thanks for joining me for this afternoon's Bundesliga action. First up is Stuttgart vs. Borussia Monchengladbach.
Stuttgart will still be looking somewhat nervously over their shoulder perhaps, but you'd suspect that they are safe by now. However, barring a number of wins to lift them up the table in the next few games it must go down as a disappointing season after Europa League qualification last term.
European qualification is exactly what this afternoon's visitors will be eyeing. With a win they go fifth - albeit temporarily pending the result of the next match. That would then put Champions League qualification on the radar.
Enough of that for now, here come today's lineups.
STUTTGART XI: Ulreich; Sakai, Rudiger, Niedermeier, Molinaro; Gentner, Boka; Harnik, Maxim, Traore; Ibisevic
GLADBACH XI: Ter Stegen; Jantschke, Brouwers, Dominguez, Wendt; Nordtveit, Marx; Herrmann, Arango, Cigerci; De Jong
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So for Stuttgart, Vedad Ibisevic continues up front. Despite their disappointing league standing currently, he's been key this season and has hit 12 goals for them. Indeed they do have goals in their ranks and Martin Harnik has chipped in with seven from midfield.
Gladbach rely much more on a tight defence. Their goals are much more spread out - today's starting striker De Jong has six, with Patrick Herrmann and the tricky Juan Arango also having a say with six and five respectively.
The Venezuelan Arango also has five assists this term and he's a player that Stuttgart will need to keep quiet if they are to have success today.
It's a tricky one to bet on, this. Stuttgart's home advantage gives them the edge, the bookies believe, and you can back them at around 5-4, while Gladbach are 11-5.
I'd be more inclined to back the draw at 9-4. As far as I can see there's very little separating the two sides. In fact, my prediction is 1-1. Just don't blame me when it ends 5-0.
It's almost time for kickoff. Just a quick reminder that I'll also be covering Augsburg vs. Frankfurt immediately after this one.
KICKOFF: Gladbach get us underway here.
It's a decent start from Gladbach. Hermann plays a neat one-two with De Jong and breaks down the left, but his cross is eventually dealt with by Stuttgart. It's a lovely sunny spring day in Stuttgart, but the hosts are struggling to find a spring in their step early on.
Gladbach again try to work something down the left but Herrmann runs it out of play although it did look like Antonio Rudiger got a touch on it. Goal kick. No chances as yet but certainly the visitors are the most lively.
A lot of the early work from Stuttgart has come through Gotoku Sakai, but their first chance is created from the left flank as Ibrahima Traore finds Alexandru Maxim in the box, who slashes an effort way over.
Tolga Cigerci makes a mistake giving the ball away in midfield but he recovers well to block Cristian Molinaro's cross. On the other side Stuttgart earn a corner but Georg Niedermeier's header flies over. He did well to beat Havard Nordtveit in the air. The Norwegian has stayed down here.
Nordtveit is receiving treatment on the sidelines with a bit of blood coming from his face. Now the hosts have come into the game and they are on top. Nordtveit's nose is pouring with blood. It looks horrible - it was a nasty clash of heads. He can't continue, surely.
SAVE! Molinaro swings in a cross from deep and Harnik meets it with a really strong header, but Ter Stegen is able to turn it over the bar. A really good chance there but well kept out.
After that slow start Stuttgart are really controlling proceedings. The passing is crisp and as we have just seen they are beginning to unlock Gladbach.
GLADBACH SUB: Nordtveit cannot continue, which is understandable. In his place comes Swiss Granit Xhaka.
Cigerci does well to win the ball for Gladbach and tries to set De Jong away on the break, but the Dutchman was offside and Stuttgart come again. They're getting stuck in now, though, are the visitors and have just battled their way back into the game.
CHANCE! Cigerci gets the best chance for Gladbach! From a throw, Arango lobs to his right for Cigerci on the run and he fires a half-volley not too far wide. Good build up but the finish was not.
Stuttgart are back on the ball now, but their possession isn't as high up the field as it has been. Brouwers is almost caught out by the rapid Traore, but the visitors somehow survive as Molinaro takes the ball out of play when well placed.
A couple of scrappy moments from both teams in the last few minutes. Gentner gets his foot into a tackle but it goes to Herrmann instead. He can't work anything with the ball but Gladbach have a spell of possession in the corner. Stuttgart, however, win a throw and the danger passes.
Molinaro has to be alert to stick out a boot to stop Jantschke being played in on the overlap. From it Stuttgart hammer it clear somewhat desperately and the spell of Gladbach possession continues.
We've still had just the two real chances, with Harnik's by far the better. A few fouls have been conceded in the last few minutes so the flow has stopped a bit.
It's still Gladbach on top as De Jong finds Cigerci who had drifted across to the left this time. His cross is blocked from a corner, from which Dominguez slashes a left-footed effort from the corner of the box well over the bar.
GOAL! Stuttgart 1-0 Gladbach (Alvaro Dominguez o.g.)
I'm not actually sure who has got that goal. Stuttgart win a free kick on the left, which is swing in by Maxim. There are a couple of touches in the box, combined with some poor goalkeeping, and it looks as though it's either Luuk de Jong or Martin Harnik who got a touch.
Dominguez also appears to have got a touch on it, so along with De Jong there are two players who might have turned it into their own net. Here's what happened: De Jong got a touch then Ter Stegen punched it into the back of Dominguez and in! Three away players combine for a Stuttgart goal!
Since the goal Gladbach have passed the ball much better. A corner a moment ago was well defended by Stuttgart, though, and the hosts can come away with the ball.
GOAL! Stuttgart 2-0 Gladbach (Christian Gentner)
Well that's an unbelievable finish but it's some awful goalkeeping from Ter Stegen! A harmless looking ball goes into the box, which Gentner latches on to. Ter Stegen comes but is beaten to it from an incredibly tight angle by the Stuttgart man and the midfielder dinks it high into the air and under the bar. Gladbach have a lot of work on now!
Now Stuttgart smell blood. Traore cuts inside Jantschke but his low cross is cut out. He's been full of pace in this half has Traore and the Gladbach defence are scared of committing. I don't blame them.
Traore breaks with pace and finds Harnik on the right. The ball is slightly ahead of him however and eventually Wendt can clear the danger. Herrmann looks to set a Gladbach break but Cigerci is just too slow to react.
Stuttgart are the most likely to grab the next goal. Gladbach need the break to arrive, and quickly. Lucien Favre looks calm enough but he will surely be fuming inside.
Cigerci has been Gladbach's best player by some distance so far. He seems to be the only one giving his all in what has been a really poor showing all round. Stuttgart are pressing high and not giving them any room in which to work.
Gladbach have a free kick in a good position to the right of the box. Arango stands over it and fizzes it in but it was too low to the ground and easily cleared in the end. I'd be very surprised if the visitors get another decent chance before the break. They've only had one so far, and that wasn't clear-cut.
There's a half-chance for them and it was Cigerci of course. Herrmann cut the ball across to him and the Turkish player pulled his shot wide. Just one minute of time to be added on.
HALF-TIME: Stuttgart 2-0 Borussia Monchengladbach
What a fantastic half from Stuttgart. Aside from the opening five or 10 minutes they have been completely in control. There was a huge slice of luck involved with their first and a goalkeeping error for the second, but they deserve their lead.
Eventually after a few replays the first goal has to be credited as a Dominguez own goal. A corner was flicked slightly by De Jong, then Ter Stegen flapped at it and ended up punching it into his centre-back who turned it in.
Favre has already had to call on his bench once for an injury to Nordtveit but he might well look to change things tactically at the break. He could bring on Mike Hanke to help De Jong, who has struggled to make an impact.
So much for my prediction of 1-1. Perhaps Gladbach can get themselves level in this half but it will need the rest of the team to match Cigerci's effort. The 21 year old has been everywhere so far but he's fighting a losing battle.
Almost time for the second half. As it stands, Stuttgart are up to 12th.
KICKOFF: Stuttgart start us off for the second 45. No changes at half time, I believe.
No side is on top at the start of this half. A couple of attacks have broken down for each side and the passing has yet to settle into a rhythm for both.
SAVE! Sven Ulreich is called into action for the first time by parrying away a De Jong shot from the angle. It would have taken a special strike or an error for that to go in, though.
Both sides are still looking to get on top, but none has as yet. If I had to pick one team that is shading it currently, it would be Gladbach but that's only because of the early half-chance.
The visitors are now seeing a lot of the ball. Cigerci tries to play HErrmann in with a through ball but he delayed it just too long and the German ran offside. This is better, though, from them.
Stuttgart, now playing on the break, win a corner when a Molinaro cross is blocked. Maxim takes it but it's poor and cleared by the first man. Gentner goes down somewhat theatrically but it was a foul as Jantschke had a hold of his shorts.
CHANCE! Maxim swings the cross in which Niedermeier meets from inside the six yard box. However, he can only turn it over the bar.
Great defending there from Rudiger, who stayed on his feet as De Jong tried to spin him before sliding to win the ball at the second attempt.
PENALTY CLAIM: Traore again causes trouble as he cuts into the box. Brouwers goes in hard to win the ball but it's a good tackle, with rightly nothing given. It's all Stuttgart now though, a third goal seems very likely.
Ibisevic is set through down the right but his shot from an angle is quite selfish and Ter Stegen easily gathers. At the other end De Jong is just offside from a Cigerci flick. Gentner plays to Sakai down the right; his cross is cleared and Gentner skies an effort from range.
Gladbach must surely make some changes soon. They're being pegged back in their own half and haven't created anything since the early chance in this half.
They've just stepped it up in the last few minutes, however. Arango tries a snap-shot from inside the area but cannot direct it either side of Ulreich. Arango then tries to thread De Jong through the middle but it runs through to the keeper.
Ibisevic tries to toe-poke one in from 25 yards and not even Ter Stegen, who has not been good today, is about to let that one through his legs. The Stuttgart defensive line is working as one and keeps catching the visitors offside.
SAVE! Brilliant from Ter Stegen! Stuttgart break through Harnik down the right. Maxim gets on the end of his cross and the keeper almost falls on it with his arm. Not as brilliant as first glance, perhaps, but he did what was needed.
The half has really spring into action now and both sides are pressing forward looking for goals. At the moment, though, it looks like Stuttgart will get the third before Gladbach can pull one back.
GLADBACH SUB: It is indeed Hanke who comes on as I suspected at half time. However, instead of working with De Jong he replaces the Dutchman.
STUTTGART SUB: Harnik comes off for Shinji Okazaki.
It's just not falling for the visitors. Herrmann crosses low into the box but none of his teammates can get it under control and the chance has gone.
GLADBACH SUB: Marx is coming off and he is replaced by Peniel Mlapa. That's a midfielder for a striker so now they go for it.
Gladbach are piling forward now, perhaps a little desperately. Their passing isn't particularly crisp but are pressing and getting the ball forward in the hope of the equaliser.
CLOSE! So close for game over! Ibisevic finds Okazaki over the top and he tries to clip it over Ter Stegen as the keeper came out but just gets too much on it and it hits the roof of the net. Good effort.
Stuttgart are now back on top and playing confidently indeed. Patient passing and good pressing is keeping Gladbach out of the game just now.
STUTTGART SUB: Ibisevic, who has been a little quiet, comes off for Federico Macheda. Oh dear Traore! Gentner finds Maxim down the left and after some silky skill he sets up Traore who slashes well over from the edge of the box.
Gladbach are really not passing well as we move into the final eight minutes. I can't see them scoring in 180 minutes today.
They are on the front foot just about, Gladback. Cigerci, who has looked the most likely player to make anything happen, shoots but it's blocked away.
STUTTGART SUB: William Kvist comes on for the final five minutes in place of Boka, who has been a wall in midfield today.
Still no chances for Gladbach to get back in this. The Stuttgart defence has been excellent all game and have really shut them down this half.
Stuttgart are on the ball now in the closing moments. They're coming forward for a third as two minutes are added on.
FULL-TIME: Stuttgart 2-0 Borussia Monchengladbach
There we have it. Stuttgart win and perform very very to beat Gladbach. That's all for this one, do please join me for Augsburg vs. Frankfurt starting now.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
