Stuttgart saw off Riessersee 4:3 in the Oberliga South on Tuesday evening. The home side claimed all three points at their ground, ending a run of defeats that had seen them lose five of their eight matches. Riessersee, sitting 13th in the table, pushed hard but could not find the equaliser.
Both sides enter this fixture with zero points on the board, a situation that reflects the early stages of their campaigns. Stuttgart had already played eight games and occupied 10th place, while their visitors sat just three positions lower. The result tightens the gap between them, though neither side has much to show for their efforts so far.
The visitors had not been without promise in recent outings. They lost 2:3 to Bregenzerwald and 1:4 to Hochstadt Alligators in their last two outings, but had managed a 5:8 victory over Erding on 4 October. Stuttgart, by contrast, had dropped points in three of their last five matches, including a 2:3 defeat to Kaufbeuren and a 3:6 loss to Passau.
And here's the thing — we had called for a home victory with 44 per cent confidence before kick-off. The prediction holds up, if only marginally. Stuttgart were the firmer side on paper, and they took their chances when they came, even if the margin was narrow.
The draw brought both teams together in the lower half of the table, but the result means Stuttgart stay ahead of Riessersee by three places. The visitors will need to find consistency if they are to climb out of the bottom third. For now, the home side have earned a point of pride after a difficult run.
