Friday, November 28, 2008

a tough point against Sampdori

VfB earned a tough point in Markus Babbel's debut as they played Sampdoria to a 1-1 draw. As the new coach said before the match, die Roten were going to need to play more rugged when needed, which is precisely what they did against the Seria A side. Ciprian Marica provided VfB the lead eight minutes after the start as the Romanian national jumped on a loose ball and sent it to the back of the goal. The lead would not last long as six minutes before the break as Paolo Sammarco re-directed Antonio Cassano's corner past Jens Lehmann. Chances to take the lead were virtually non-existent in the final forty-five with Jens handling all attempts. While the three points would have (obviously) been welcomed, VfB played with such intensity and venom, success is surely in the future with Markus Babbel in-charge.