Matarazzo at a loss to explain Stuttgart's latest away win

Berlin (AFP) – Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo admitted Sunday he was at a loss to explain his team’s fifth away win of the season which makes them the Bundesliga’s joint-strongest team on the road.

“The only difference is that we stay in a hotel,” the 43-year-old Italian-American said following Sunday’s 4-1 romp at 10-man Augsburg.

“The win does us good, to get back on the right path after two games without a point,” he added as Stuttgart picked up their first win since last month’s away thrashing of Borussia Dortmund.

Raised in New York to Italian parents, Matarazzo earned a maths degree at Colombia University before moving to Europe, eventually becoming Julian Nagelsmann’s assistant coach at Hoffenheim before taking charge of Stuttgart in 2019.

Alongside Leverkusen, who have also won five times and lost once on the road this season, Matarazzo’s Stuttgart have a stronger away record than even Bayern Munich, who remain top despite losing 3-2 at Moenchengladbach on Friday.

Stuttgart took the lead on Sunday through Argentine striker Nicolas Gonzalez’s early penalty after Augsburg’s West Ham loanee Reece Oxford fouled Mateo Klimowicz in the area.

The visitors were 2-0 up at half-time after Congolese winger Silas Wamangituka finished a counter-attack with his first goal since netting twice in the 5-1 win at Dortmund.

Augsburg pulled a goal back almost immediately after the break when midfielder Marco Richter fired home from close range after Swiss winger Ruben Vargas prised open the defence.

Stuttgart captain Gonzalez Castro fired his side 3-1 up on the hour mark when he banged home a long pass to the far post.

Soon after, Richter received his second booking inside three minutes and was shown a red card after accidentally kicking the Achilles tendon of Waldemar Anton.

The Stuttgart defender had the last laugh when his cross to the far post was tapped home by substitute Daniel Didavi three minutes before the whistle.

After two defeats and a draw in their previous three league games, the victory lifts Stuttgart above Augsburg into 10th.