Second division soccer team Hertha BSC were unable to turn the game around in Braunschweig. Engelhardt scored to give VfL Osnabrück a reason to celebrate.
Hertha BSC have not been able to further cement their ambitions in the second division of the German Soccer League. The 1:1 (0:1) draw at relegation candidates Eintracht Braunschweig meant that the Berliners failed to make decisive progress towards the promotion places. In front of 22,636 spectators in the Eintracht Stadium, Fabio Kaufmann put the hosts in front in the 14th minute, with substitute Ibrahim Maza equalizing in the 52nd minute. Braunschweig’s Hasan Kurucay was shown the red card for a bad foul on Palko Dardai (77).
Hertha were particularly disappointing in the first half and were punished early on for their passive play. A bad pass from Andreas Bouchalakis in his own penalty area was picked up by Kaufmann, who scored to give Hertha the lead. The visitors returned from the half-time break with a completely different attitude. Substitute Haris Tabakovic twice missed the equalizer shortly after the restart. Maza, who also came on at half-time, did better in the 52nd minute.
When Braunschweig was reduced to ten men in the closing stages, Hertha pushed forward in search of the winning goal. However, despite being a man up, Berlin did not create any good opportunities. In the table, Hertha are now five points behind third-placed Hamburger SV, who host Elversberg on Sunday. Braunschweig, in 15th place, have a two-point lead over 16th-placed Kaiserslautern.
VfL Osnabrück pull off 1-0 upset against Hannover 96
Last-place VfL Osnabrück pulled off an upset by beating promoted team Hannover 96, celebrating their first win since the seventh match day. On Saturday, the team of coach Uwe Koschinat won 1-0 (0-0) at the Bremer Brücke, which was once again sold out with 15,741 spectators. Erik Engelhardt scored the only goal of the game for VfL in the 61st minute. Despite the victory, Osnabrück remain at the bottom of the 2nd Bundesliga table with 15 points. For the recently strong Hannover team, this was their first defeat in the new year and a bitter setback in the race for promotion.
After a weak first half, Hannover initially fought its way into offensive action. Havard Nielsen (48th) put his shot attempt over the goal, Marcel Halstenberg (51st) was unable to take advantage of two chances to shoot, as did Louis Schaub (52nd), who shot the ball from a distance just over the goal. Then the Osnabrück team was able to celebrate: 96-keeper Ron-Robert Zieler was unable to parry a corner kick, and Robert Tesche sent the ball into the middle again, where Engelhardt scored with a header from close range.
Debacle for Kaiserslautern in Funkels home debut
In the home debut of former champion coach Friedhelm Funkel, 1. FC Kaiserslautern has suffered a bitter defeat. On the 23rd match day of the 2nd Bundesliga, the Palatinate team deservedly lost the southwest derby against Karlsruher SC with 0:4 (0:0). While the guests celebrated their first victory in Kaiserslautern since 1992, the FCK is sliding deeper and deeper into the relegation battle.
Kaiserslautern played the game in black jerseys in memory of former FCK player Andreas Brehme, who died in the early hours of Tuesday morning. There was also a minute’s silence before the game. Both teams and the referee team wore black armbands. In front of 49,327 spectators in the sold-out Fritz Walter Stadium, the game was decided within seven minutes. Marvin Wanitzek (51′), Igor Matanovic (58′) and Paul Nebel (82′) scored the goals for the guests. Budu Zivzivadze (90’+1) made the final score in stoppage time.