Five-goal Humdinger goes Freiburg's way
Freiburg - SC Freiburg moved five points clear of the drop zone after twice coming from behind to see off ten-man 1. FC Nürnberg with a 3-2 win at the MAGE-Solar Stadium.
Blistering start
After Emanuel Pogatetz, Pavel Krmas, Josip Drmic and Admir Mehmedi traded lusty blows in the goals department, Felix Klaus delivered the knockout punch to settle a thrilling relegation bout in Freiburg's favour, before Pogatetz saw red at the death.
Freiburg showed the visitors far too much respect early on as Marvin Plattenhardt played a short corner to Hiroshi Kiyotake, whose inch-perfect cross made life incredibly easy for former Austrian international Pogatetz to head home only the second Bundesliga goal of his career from close range. Martin Angha then threatened a second, but was unable to keep his shot down following a sizzling forward run.
Not to be outdone by the men from Franconia, die Breisgauer turned things up a notch, with Mehmedi looping a deft breakaway effort over the onrushing Raphael Schäfer and against the foot of the post. The chances were coming thick and fast as Klaus drove an effort straight at the keeper from range, before Freiburg deservedly levelled when Krmas powered in a corner from Jonathan Schmid, who also struck the woodwork moments later.
Drmic strikes again
Gertjan Verbeek's side had offered little since being being pegged back, but managed to get their noses in front late in the half when Krmas was adjudged to have wrestled Pogatetz to the ground in the box. Drmic had scored four goals in his last four outings and made no mistake from the spot, lashing in his tenth Bundesliga strike of 2014 and 16th of the season with aplomb.
More spot-kick drama was to come as chief protagonist Pogatetz clipped the heels of Klaus to hand Freiburg an immediate route back into the contest, not long after Schmid had already seen vociferous penalty appeals waved away. Swiss international Mehmedi stepped up to the plate and duly delivered to haul Freiburg level just eight minutes into the second half.
Early Mother's Day gift
Open and seemingly there for the taking, the game at last swung the way of Freiburg in the 65th minute. Jose Campana could only clear as far as Klaus, who took one touch before crashing an unstoppable strike into the far corner of Schäfer's goal, much to the delight of his mother in the stands.
Freiburg had won all four of their previous encounters in which Klaus had found the net and that run never looked in doubt as the game entered the final rounds. The stuffing knocked out of them, Nürnberg's disappointing evening took one final blow on the chin when Pogatetz collected a second bookable offence and red card, ruling him out of next week's clash with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Line-ups and statistics
Christopher Mayer-Lodge
