Darmstadt has extended its lead in the 2nd Bundesliga. Second five points behind is Hamburger SV, which won 6-1 against Hannover on Saturday.
Bielefeld fights for point against Fortuna Düsseldorf
Arminia Bielefeld earned an important home point in the 2nd Bundesliga in the fight to stay in the relegation zone. The East Westphalians fought to a 2-2 (1-0) draw against Fortuna Düsseldorf and have gone five games without defeat. Under new coach Uwe Koschinat, the club has won two of its last four matches.
Bielefeld now occupy 14th place in the table with 29 points, and are two points clear of 16th place in the relegation zone. Veteran Fabian Klos (20.) scored the 1:0 for Arminia at the Alm, Emmanuel Iyoha (48.) scored the equalizer. Felix Klaus (60th) made it 2-1 for the visitors, Bryan Lasme (84th) struck back. Fortuna is unbeaten for six games and yet probably without a realistic chance of promotion.
From the start, a game developed with many offensive actions on both sides. As early as the fourth minute, Düsseldorf defender Andre Hoffmann put a header against the post of the Arminia goal.
Victory against Paderborn: Darmstadt extends league lead
SV Darmstadt 98 has extended its lead in the 2nd Bundesliga and is taking big steps toward promotion. The southern Hessians came from behind to beat SC Paderborn 2-1 (1-1) on Sunday and, after their third win in a row, now have a seven-point lead over the relegation spot occupied by 1. FC Heidenheim. The cushion to Hamburger SV in second place is five points.
Matthias Bader in the 35th minute and Braydon Manu (59th) scored the goals for the Lilies in front of 16,674 spectators. Florent Muslija (44th) equalized for the visitors with a penalty kick.
Darmstadt were the more active team from the start and had the first big chance of the game, which Filip Stojilkovic (13.) missed from an acute angle. In a game that was at times a little bit tense, Bader gave the home side the lead with a lob from the right side of the penalty area over goalkeeper Jannik Huth. The visitors equalized with a converted penalty kick. Marvin Mehlem had brought down Sirlord Conteh.
The East Westphalians even pressed for the lead at the start of the second half. Darmstadt goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen deflected a long-range shot from Muslija just over the crossbar and was lucky that Raphael Obermair’s shot from the left side of the penalty area only hit the outside of the net. When the home side regained the lead, they benefited from a misplaced back pass from Paderborn captain Ron Schallenberg. Manu ran onto the ball, rounded goalkeeper Huth and slotted home.
Magdeburg and Regensburg draw in relegation battle
1. FC Magdeburg picked up another point in the fight to stay in the relegation zone, but missed out on a free kick in the 2nd Bundesliga. The superior promoted team from Saxony-Anhalt had to settle for a 2-2 (1-0) draw at SSV Jahn Regensburg after a dominant first half, maintaining its five-point lead over Jahn. The Upper Palatinate team remains in the relegation spot.
Magdeburg initially demonstrated its usual possession soccer and took the lead after ten minutes with a dream goal. Baris Atik curled a free kick from around 20 meters over the wall into the far corner. Jahn keeper Jonas Urbig moved in the wrong direction, but made up for his mistake with a save against Amara Condé (15th). All in all, the eager Regensburg team was too wait-and-see and, as so often this season, lacked offensive punch. Magdeburg initially had everything under control.
After the break, the home side showed more courage and benefited from a gross misunderstanding by Magdeburg when they equalized. The ball bounced off Silas Gnaka’s thigh and past FCM goalkeeper Dominik Reimann into the net. In the hectic final phase, Magdeburg’s Jamie Lawrence (80th) poked the ball over the line. Turbulence continued: Kaan Caliskaner (90th) saved a point for Jahn, and in injury time Magdeburg’s Daniel Heber saw red after a foul.
Bottom team Sandhausen still winless and in crisis under Oral
SV Sandhausen remains in crisis in the tight relegation battle of the 2. Liga. Tomas Oral’s team deservedly lost to SpVgg Greuther Fürth 0:2 (0:2) and is now six points behind the relegation zone.
SVS thus failed to achieve the hoped-for turnaround and first win in the sixth game under Oral, but instead suffered its fourth defeat. To make matters worse, Oral was even shown the red card shortly before the end of the game for a whinge and had to go to the stands.
The cloverleaf already took the lead in the ninth minute through the strong Branimir Hrgota, who scored with a beautiful direct shot. It was already the 10th goal of the season for the Fürth captain. Hrgota also set up the 2:0 by Ragnar Ache (26th). Alexander Zorniger’s team was able to gain some breathing room with this important victory.
Former Bundesliga team Fürth was clearly the better team at first. Sandhausen’s insecurity was palpable. The team at the bottom of the table could even be happy that the cloverleaf missed more good chances before the break. It was not until after the changeover that SVS came up with more in a game that had become disjointed – too late, however, for a turnaround.
