Hamburger SV is once again the closest pursuer of northern rivals FC St. Pauli in the 2nd Bundesliga. HSV won its home game against 1. FC Magdeburg 2-0 (1-0) and climbed to second place in the table. The goals were scored by Laszlo Benes (9th minute) and Bakery Jatta (72nd). The gap to leader Pauli is two points.
First division relegated Schalke 04 took another step out of the relegation zone with their first away win of the season. Thanks to substitute Danny Latza’s winning goal in the 89th minute, new coach Karel Geraerts’ team celebrated a 2-1 (1-0) victory in the emotional traditional duel at 1. FC Nürnberg. After their second win in a row, Schalke climbed to 14th place with 13 points. For the club (18 points) it was a setback in the fight to stay at the top.
Holstein Kiel also had to accept this. In a 1-1 (0-0) draw at penultimate VfL Osnabrück, the North Germans (20 points) missed the jump to second place. Greuther Fürth is still on the way up in the table thanks to a 2-0 (1-0) win at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. With 18 points, coach Alexander Zorniger’s team is in the top third of the table after twelve games.
Latza scores with a header to give Schalke a win
Schalke, who had to do without the ailing captain Simon Terodde, dominated for long periods of the first half. The 1-0 by Dominick Drexler (36th) after preparatory work by Kenan Karaman was a just reward for coach Geraerts’ team.
After the substitution, Nuremberg equalized through Florian Flick (47th). But Danny Latza, who came on after just over an hour, scored the winning goal with a header shortly before the end.
Pichler saves Kiel a point
Things are currently not working at Holstein Kiel. A week ago, first the 0:2 against Nuremberg, then the cup exit against Magdeburg and on Saturday only the 1:1. After Dave Gnaase fell behind (55′), substitute Benedikt Pichler saved a point in the final minute.
Even on the Betzenberg, the supposed underdog Greuther Fürth was in control in the first half thanks to a concentrated performance and the lead through Gideon Jung’s header (22nd). After the substitution, Fürth striker Branimir Hrgota was illegally stopped in the penalty area by Lautern’s keeper Julian Grahl. Julian Green safely converted the penalty that was due (54th). To make matters worse, Boris Tomiak was shown a red card for assaulting Hrgota (69′).
