Domi Kumbela's (r.) goal gave Eintracht Braunschweig a surprise win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Matchday 11
Domi Kumbela's (r.) goal gave Eintracht Braunschweig a surprise win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Matchday 11
Joy at the bottom for Braunschweig and Freiburg
Munich - Eintracht Braunschweig recorded a memorable victory over Bayer 04 Leverkusen, SC Freiburg thrashed fellow strugglers 1. FC Nürnberg and Borussia Mönchengladbach at long last picked up the away day spoils at Hamburger SV on Matchday 11.
Eintracht Braunschweig 1-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
bundesliga.com rounds up the Saturday afternoon action...
Domi Kumbela grabbed the only goal of the game as Eintracht Braunschweig recorded a surprise 1-0 win over ten-man Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Third-place Leverkusen started brightly against the Bundesliga strugglers but, despite dominating possession in the opening stages, failed to create many clear-cut opportunities.
Kumbela strikes
Braunschweig’s Karim Bellarabi looked the most likely to create something for the hosts and almost gave Torsten Lieberknecht’s team the lead with a stinging effort which flew just over the crossbar.
With nine minutes remaining, Braunschweig went ahead, with Kumbela appearing unmarked at the far post to divert Norman Theuerkauf's ball into the back of the net and send the home fans into rapture. Lars Bender was sent off for Leverkusen in stoppage time as Braunschweig held on to record their first home victory of the season.
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Hamburger SV 0-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Max Kruse scored twice as Borussia Mönchengladbach registered their first away win of the campaign thanks to a 2-0 win at Hamburger SV.
The Foals had a great chance to take an early lead when Juan Arango fired across goal, with Kruse failing to get on the end of the South American’s cross. The former SC Freiburg man made amends midway through the first half, however, capitalising on an under-hit back pass by HSV defender Lasse Sobiech to round Rene Adler and fire into an empty net.
Kruse at the double
Hamburg responded well and could have levelled the score had one of their forwards managed to get a touch to Rafael van der Vaart’s cross-cum-shot in the 37th minute. The hosts picked up at the start of the second half where they had left off in the first and almost found an equaliser through van der Vaart’s free-kick, but the Dutchman’s effort cannoned off the crossbar and into touch.
Calhanoglu then went close, but it was the visitors who managed to double their advantage after 63 minutes. Sobiech lost possession to Raffael near the corner flag and the Brazilian was able to set up Kruse for his second goal of the game and his seventh of the season. Pierre-Michel Lasogga almost pulled a goal back for Bert van Marwijk’s team with a close-range header which bounced back off the post, before Arango’s effort was disallowed for offside.
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1. FC Nürnberg 0-3 SC Freiburg
Ten-man SC Freiburg picked up their first win of the season, with Felix Kraus, Vladimir Darida and Admir Mehmedi on target in a resounding 3-0 win at 1. FC Nürnberg.
Makoto Hasebe almost fired the hosts into the lead after 20 minutes with a powerful effort from just outside the penalty area, but goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, whose errors handed Hamburger SV victory at the MAGE Solar Stadion on Matchday 10, managed to turn the Japanese international’s effort onto the post.
Klaus puts Freiburg ahead
Nürnberg left-back Marvin Plattenhardt went desperately close to giving the Franconians a second-half lead, before Freiburg took the lead against the run of play when Klaus headed home Sebastian Freis’ cross.
Freiburg defender Oliver Sorg was then given his marching orders for his second bookable offence, but the visitors were undeterred. Darida doubled Freiburg’s lead with a spectacular shot from 30 yards, before Mehmedi completed a memorable day for the Breisgauer, leaving Nürnberg perilously close to the foot of the table.
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