BERLIN (AFP) – A brace from Borussia Moenchengladbach's Robin Hack, including the fastest goal of the Bundesliga season, took the home side to a 3-1 win over high-flying Stuttgart on Sunday.
Hack scored his first goal in Gladbach colours after just 21 seconds, latching onto a pass from Rocco Reitz and blasting across the face of goal for the opener.
The goal whetted Hack's appetite and the winger doubled his tally shortly after, taking advantage of a mistake from Stuttgart goalkeeper Alex Nuebel to lash in his second and stun the visitors.
Stuttgart, unexpectedly sitting in third place this season after narrowly avoiding relegation last campaign, struggled up front without striker Serhou Guirassy, who is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Guinea.
Josha Vagnoman scored a classy goal in the second half to reduce the deficit but Gladbach struck the killer blow in injury time, Jordan Siebatcheu scoring on the counter to seal the win.
"You can't imagine it better" Hack told DAZN. "I'm so happy. I've worked hard and rewarded myself a bit today."
Gladbach's win took them up a congested middle of the table to 10th spot.
"You can't start like that" said Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav. "You need to go into the game focused, not concede a goal after 20 seconds."
"We lost that game in the first half."
Stuttgart stay third despite the loss. They have now lost each of the three matches they played without star striker Guirassy, who has 17 goals from 14 games this season.
Earlier on Sunday, a long-range strike from Niklas Stark in the third minute of injury time snatched a point for Werder Bremen in a 1-1 draw at Bochum.
Bochum looked on course for just their fourth win of the season after Patrick Osterhage produced a dipping stunner midway through the second half.
With both teams hovering dangerously close to the relegation places at the season's half-way point, Bochum looked on course to grab three points and land a significant blow.
Stark had other ideas, unleashing a speculative shot from well outside the box, which took a heavy deflection off Osterhage, before bouncing in off the crossbar.
"Luckily it went in," Stark told DAZN.
The goal sparked Bremen into life, the visitors pushing for a winner in the final seconds as the clock wound down.
"The fact we scored the equaliser so late speaks for our team spirit," said Bremen manager Ole Werner.
The draw means Werder Bremen are unbeaten in their past four matches.
"It hurts like hell," Bochum midfielder Kevin Stoeger told DAZN.
Both sides have 17 points, with Bremen ahead on goal difference.