A triumphant return for Christoph Daum: VfB Stuttgart lose touch with the league leaders after losing at home to newly promoted 1. FC Köln.
For coach Armin Veh, it was a second defeat in a row and the club's second this season at home.
Novakovic bags two
For Köln, the win stopped the rot after two defeats and brought them their fifth win of the season. Three of those have been away. Coach Christoph Daum went for a strong defensive formation on his return to Stuttgart where he used to coach.
But man of the match was Milivoje Novakovic who scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season in the 3rd and 61st minutes.
Stuttgart dominated for long stretches without being able to convert their superiority. They pulled one back through Roberto Hilbert (69.), but Stuttgart restored the two goal difference when Portuguese international Petit scored his first Bundesliga goal 4 minutes into injury time.
Khedira and Hilbert miss chances
After Novakovic caught Stuttgart cold with an early sucker punch, Köln fell back on defence. Stuttgart were unable to take advantage of territorial superiority. .
After Sami Khedira (7., 14.) and Hilbert (12.) missed chances, there was little excitement or footballing passion to warm the fans in the freezing weather.
VfB bereft of ideas
A mistake by German international Thomas Hitzlsperger led to Köln widening the gap. The 0:2 deficit seemed to galvanise Stuttgart who raised their fans' hopes when Hilbert narowed the gap.
There was little sign of any constructive play or imaginative build-up. German international striker Mario Gomez was left stranded up front for most of the match, waiting in vain for a sight of the ball.
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