Stuttgart hosted Champions League-chashing Freiburg and almost managed to throw away a 2-0 lead late on.
They led 2-0 through first-half goals from Christian Gentner and Vedad Ibisevic before a late goal from substitute Ivan Santini made it a nervy finish.
However, Stuttgart held on for a deserved three points.
Read how the action unfolded below with our live text commentary.
Hello all and welcome to our coverage of this afternoon's Bundesliga action. First up is Stuttgart vs. Freiburg.
Before I go any further, I'll bring the team news right to you..
STUTTGART XI: Ulreich; Sakai, Rudiger, Niedermeier, Molinaro; Gentner, Boka; Harnik, Maxim, Traore; Ibisevic
FREIBURG XI: Mujdza; Krmas, Diagne, Gunter; Ginter, Schuster; Schmid, Guede, Makiadi; Kruse
So it's largely as expected from the hosts. Vedad Ibisevic continues up front and in behind him in an attacking midfield three is the match-winner from Wednesday, Martin Harnik. Arthur Boka, their other scorer, plays in his usual deeper midfield role.
I'm also a big fan of the Romanian Alexandru Maxim. He only signed in January, but has added a powerful driving run and a wicked set piece delivery to Stuttgart.
I wonder whether Freiburg had more of an eye on this game when they lost on Wednesday. Certainly a win here would be huge - they'd move up to fourth and be real contenders for the European spots. Their scorer on Wednesday, Jan Rosenthal, does not play. It's the tricky Max Kruse up top.
They really do have some very tricky players, do the visitors. Cedric Makiadi is always full of pace and I'm a fan of the solid midfield pairing of Matthias Ginter and Christian Gunter.
Before we get to the kickoff, a look at the odds tells us that the hosts are slight favourites tonight. You can back them at about 17-11, with the visitors slightly further back at 2-1.
PREDICTION: Personally, I'm going for a reverse of the result on Wednesday - 2-1 to Freiburg it is then!
The handshakes are being done and we're almost set for what's hopefully an exciting game of German football.
KICKOFF: Here we go then, the hosts in white kick us off.
Freiburg, who could move into the Champions League qualifier spot with a win remember, have started somewhat on the back foot. Stuttgart have started with some nice passing early on.
Half-chance early on for the visitors. Schmid is set away down the right from a nicely worked free kick and his low cross is just blocked before Kruse can sweep it in from close range. Boka fouls Maxim and Stuttgart have a free kick in a good spot for a ball in.
Some nice work from Gotuku Sakai finds Antonio Rudiger down the right, but his cross is too deep. Stuttgart do keep it in, however, and continue with their nice passing. Freiburg's stall is set out to play on the break early on.
Some nice passing by Freiburg there as Schmid plays left to Julian Schuster, whose low cross towards Cedric Makiadi doesn't reach him. That's a couple of crossing chances they've had, but Stuttgart have been able to deal with them.
Schmid has been very lively early on. He nicks it past Boka on the half-way line, before trying to find Schuster on the left, but the captain had strayed marginally offside. At the other end Harnik is set away down the right but Mensur Mujdza is first to his cross and clears. The hosts now have a free kick around 30 yards out now.
Maxim took the free kick, but he goes for placement and gets it completely wrong. Makiadi is muscled off the ball really well by Rudiger - far too easily for my liking. At the other end Diagne gets the better of Ibisevic.
There have been no real chances on goal thus far. A few crosses have come in from dangerous positions but neither goalkeeper has had anything to do thus far. In fact, it's a little scrappy.
CHANCE! There is a chance! A real chance. Maxim breaks into the box down the left after being found by Gentner. The German gets it back but skies a left-footed effort from a slight angle.
Stuttgart are on top now. A nice passing move is wasted by Boka, who went for the ambitious diagonal ball that was easy for Mujdza to clear.
SAVE! Sven Ulreich is the first keeper called into action. Schmid crosses low to Kruse who hammers towards goal from the middle of the box but Ulreich gets a firm couple of hands on it to push it wide. Good save.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Now Freiburg are starting to control the game after their effort on goal. Kruse again finds space after being found by Schmid, but his touch takes him wide and he eventually wins a corner. From it, it's put in at the far post by I think Makiadi, but it's been ruled out. It can't have been offside.
In fact it was offside. Makiadi was across the line, behind the goalkeeper, when the ball was played in. Really bad positioning and if he'd have just been where he finished from at the start then his side would be leading. They come again and Kruse's cross to the lurking Makiadi is harmlessly over the bar.
How can Stuttgart respond to that warning sign from Freiburg? Very well, in fact. Molinaro swings a deep cross that Maxim keeps in to cut across the face, but Diagne is in the right place to clear.
Gentner looks for Sakai, but it's really well intercepted by the sliding Schuster, who had tracked the Japanese all the way.
BOOKING: Kruse drifts to the right this time and is found over the top, but again it's a disappointing cross. Schuster is booked for pulling back Harnik as he tried to break down the right.
CHANCE! Mujdza, who is now playing at right-back, is found by Kruse. He crosses low but Rudiger is there to hack clear over his own bar. It wasn't convincing, but ended up safe. At the other end Stuttgart break but Traore dallies on the ball and the chance is gone. They come back down the left but this time it's at the feet of Oliver Baumann.
Gentner goes for the ambitious chip over Baumann from range. The keeper had drifted slightly away from his line, but had plenty of time to get back and gather.
GOAL! Stuttgart 1-0 Freiburg (Christian Gentner)
What an assist that is by Harnik. The Austrian chips it over the entire defence to Gentner, who had arrived late in the box to head past Baumann neatly. All the credit has to go to Harnik there.
There have been spells in this game where both sides have been on top, and Stuttgart have scored during on of theirs. How can Freiburg respond? They must be sick of the sight of Stuttgart.
The answer is not very well so far. Sakai then gets a chance on the volley from a really well worked move down the left, but completely mishits his effort and it doesn't even go out of play.
There has been a lack of chances since the goal, but Stuttgart have remained on top of the contest. The crowd are in good voice and it wouldn't surprise me if they got another before the break.
GOAL! Stuttgart 2-0 Freiburg (Vedad Ibisevic)
Well, just as I say it, there it is. It's poor from Schuster, who gives the ball away to Harnik, who then threads in Ibisevic to slot home for 2-0. That could well be it.
They're just on top in every area now, Stuttgart. Tackles that look 50-50 are going their way and they're also getting all the lucky breaks. Freiburg come forward with Schuster and Gunter, but just cannot work a chance.
HALF-TIME: Stuttgart 2-0 Freiburg
Freiburg's hopes of getting into the top four have not gone well in the first 45 minutes here. It hasn't been completely dominant from Stuttgart, but they have certainly created more and have used the ball far better.
Freiburg will need to play much, much better if they stand a hope of a point here tonight. They have not been good at all and we could well see some changes for them at the break. Kruse has been lively, but he's had no support.
As far as the statistics go, Stuttgart have had the better of the ones that matter. The possession is an even 50%, but Stuttgart are leading 7-3 in goal attempts and 3-2 in attempts on target. They have no corners to Freiburg's four, though.
Freiburg are out there nice and early, but we're still waiting for Stuttgart to join us on the pitch. The away side look composed for the second half. Nothing to lose now, I suppose.
KICKOFF: Freiburg get us back underway.
SAVE! Almost 3-0 right at the start of the half! Harnik shimmies past Krmas but his effort at goal is weak and Baumann is able to get it wide.
FREIBURG SUB: Krmas is struggling with an injury and it's Hohn who comes on for him. A good young player.
Freiburg have a chance from a free kick wide left. Schmid swings it in an Ibisevic, unchallenged, heads it back over his own goal for a corner. Ulreich comes out to claim it though and the minor spell of pressure from the visitors is over.
Stuttgart are looking comfortable on the ball now. Largely due to the fact that Freiburg simply aren't pressing them when not on the ball.
There's now lots of passing in midfield and defence from both sides, but neither have much urgency to get forward it seems. That's fair enough for the hosts, but Freiburg can't have just given up. It's still too early though to get desperate, in fairness - one goal and they'll be right back in it.
SHOT! Boka finds Maxim superbly on the right side of the box. The Romanian is completely open and has time to control on his chest and fire a half-volley towards goal, but it was straight at Baumann who gathers.
FREIBURG SUB: It's a second change for the visitors, and Johannes Flum comes on for Schuster.
Freiburg try to create a chance, with the new man Flum involved. Eventually Stuttgart can clear when Makiadi went to ground a little too easily.
The visitors are pressing now quite a bit and are camped in the hosts' half, but they still have yet to really test Ulreich all game. He's made a couple of stops, but nothing beyond routine.
At least the visitors seem to be dealing with Stuttgart at the back now. That's the first step, not to concede again, and then they must use the remaining half an hour to create the chances needed.
FREIBURG SUB: Santini, a striker, is coming on for Guede in what is an attacking move. That's also their last change already.
It's safe to say that this half has been less exciting than the first! Stuttgart are already taking their time over set pieces in the 66th minute. They're more than happy for this to end 2-0, as Ibievic reaches for a Molinaro cros but cannot make contact.
BOOKING: There's a slight mix up in the Freiburg half, but as Traore looked to race through the ball bounces to Baumann. Both teams seem to be playing on the break here as Harnik is fouled by Hahn after latching on to a Sakai ball. Hohn is carded, rightly.
With 20 minutes left I'd be very surprised if Freiburg get back into this one. They are seeing a lot of the ball but not in the right area.
Stuttgart now are starting to take control again. Ever since 1-0 they have looked most likely to score, but really that's not true this half. Neither side has.
Harnik has looked a constant threat down the right. Sakai again looks for him over the top but he's just beaten to it this time by Hohn.
It has really been a good performance by the hosts at the back. Kruse has been most lively but has been completely nullified in this half. Baumann is worked again as Harnik goes over the top for Szakai, and the keeper just wins the battle.
Molinaro makes a superb burst down the left, tracked by Kruse. He eventually manages to find Traore in the box but the shot is too close to Baumann and there's not goal. However, Stuttgart are firmly on top.
STUTTGART SUB: The second goalscorer Ibisevic comes off for Federico Macheda, who of course is on loan from Manchester United. He has not impressed so far, though.
STUTTGART SUB: Probably more time wasting by the hosts as Hajnal comes on now for Maxim. The Romanian played very well again.
SAVE! Ouch! Baumann this time keeps it out with his face! Macheda finds space down the left, cuts inside and shoots from a tight angle, but it's a corner via the face of the brave keeper.
OFF THE POST! Traore won't come close. He bursts into the box at pace, fires low past Baumann but sees his effort hit the post and roll across the line. He can only turn the rebound into the side netting. At the other end Ulreich does well to keep out a Gunter cross.
STUTTGART SUB: That was Traore's last action. He has deserved a goal but makes way for Okazaki.
GOAL! Stuttgart 2-1 Freiburg (Ivan Santini)
Well, the Croatian makes the final few minutes very interesting! Sakai cannot clear his lines, which allows Santini to nip and and roll the ball past Ulreich. It was scarcely deserved, but now they're just one behind.
SAVE! Now Stuttgart have Ulreich to thank! Flum shoots from all of 25 yards and it's rising, but the keeper gets a solid hand to keep it out! A frantic end here and I think that's three minutes left.
Good claim from Ulreich who clutches a very, very long throw. However, Freiburg come again through Kruse but his cross is long.
FULL-TIME: Stuttgart 2-1 Freiburg
That's all from me. Be sure to join me for Nuremberg vs. Furth starting now! Goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
