Greuther Furth have slipped to the bottom of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 defeat to Stuttgart at home.
The visitors could have pulled ahead as early as the second minute when Shinji Okazaki headed Arthur Boka's cross on goal, but it was saved by Furth goalkeeper Wolfgang Hesl.
Eight minutes later the home side had a chance to make the breakthrough when Christopher Nothe was released by Mergim Mavraj, but his shot from an acute angle on the right was kept out by Sven Ulreich.
Then on the 27th minute Hesl was called into action again; this time he was forced to deny Vedad Ibisevic's close-range header from close range.
Stuttgart had a great chance to go 1-0 up in the 44th minute when they were awarded a penalty following Mavraj's challenge on Ibisevic inside the area.
Ibisevic, though, failed to get his spot kick past Hesl.
However, moments later Okazaki scored for Stuttgart when he headed home from close range.
Just two minutes into the second half, Furth were unlucky not to score when Christopher Nothe hit the post with an effort from close range.
Stuttgart were reduced to 10 men in the 53rd minute when Serdar Tasci was shown a straight red card for his challenge on Milorad Pekovic.
Four minutes later Thomas Kleine saw his header from close range saved, and then Stuttgart's Martin Harnik and Christian Gentner came close to equalising.
