Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 Darmstadt
Goals: 1-0 Iyoha 51’

Fortuna Düsseldorf retain an outside shot at promotion, thanks to a 1-0 win over leaders Darmstadt. There were presentable chances at both ends in the first half as Darmstadt goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen pulled off a smart double save from Christoph Klarer und Dawid Kownacki, before Marvin Mehlem and Phillip Tietz miscued in front of the Fortuna goal. Emmanuel Iyoha broke the deadlock soon after the restart, prompting something of an onslaught, but the woodwork, an offside flag against Tietz and Florian Kastenmeier’s heroics kept the Lilies bay. Darmstadt remain five points clear at the summit, with Fortuna up to fourth and just six points outside the promotion play-off spot currently occupied by Hamburg.

Karlsruhe 4-2 Arminia Bielefeld
Goals: 0-1 Hack pen. 9’, 1-1 Rapp 63’, 2-1 Wanitzek pen. 70’, 3-1 Kaufmann 75’, 3-2 Lasme 80’, 4-2 Wanitzek 83’

Mid-table Karlsruhe came from behind to score four second-half goals and record a barnstorming win that leaves Arminia Bielefeld looking nervously over their shoulder at the drop zone. Robin Hack’s ninth-minute penalty put Arminia in the driving seat, but they were brutally punished for not capitalising on chances to add to their lead. A third Jomaine Consbruch effort against the woodwork early in the second half finally sparked a response from Karlsruhe, who levelled through substitute Simone Rapp. Bielefeld hit the goal frame for the fourth time, before quick-fire Marvin Wanitzek and Mikkel Kaufmann goals swung the tide in Karlsruhe’s favour. Bryan Lasme reduced the areas within minutes of joining the action, but a worldie from Wanitzek ensured the points stayed at the Wildpark-Stadion.

Hannover 0-3 Heidenheim
Goals: 0-1 Beste (31'), 0-2 Kleindienst (35'), 0-3 Thomalia (45')

Heidenheim gave their promotion hopes a significant boost with a comfortable 3-0 win at Hannover. Jan-Niklas Beste gave the guests the lead on the half-hour mark, volleying a spectacular effort past Ron Robert Zieler for his eighth goal of the season – already double his previous best for a single campaign Tim Kleindiest doubled Heidenheim’s lead just five minutes later, lobbing Zieler in a one-on-one situation. Hannover wasted several chances to reduce the arrears and were punished on the stroke of half-time when Denis Thomalla turned the screw, heading in to give Heidenheim an unassailable half-time lead which they administered in the second 45 minutes to return to an automatic promotion position.

Paderborn 3-0 Hansa Rostock
Goals: 1-0 Rohr (48'), 2-0 Muslija (78’), 3-0 Platte (87’)

Paderborn kept their slim promotion hopes alive with a comfortable win over struggling Hansa Rostock. The visitors’ chances of securing a first point under Alois Schwartz in the new coach’s third match in charge were compromised by the sending off of Lukas Scherff after less than 30 minutes of play. While it remained goalless at the break, the hosts’ pressure inevitably told as Maximilian Rohr turned the ball in from a Julian Justvan cut-back shortly after the restart. A smart finish from Florent Muslija and strike from substitute Felix Platte in the final phase secured the victory and left Rostock floundering in the bottom two.

Holstein Kiel 2-1 Nuremberg
Goals: 1-0 Skrzybski (19’), 2-0 Reese (39’), 2-1 Lohkemper (65’)

Holstein Kiel remain in eighth after two wins in two, while Nuremberg are now looking anxiously over their shoulders at the battle for survival after no victory in four. The hosts got a deserved lead after an energetic start, with Steven Skrzybski pouncing on a goalkeeping clearance smashed off the onrushing Lewis Holtby. Another botched Nuremberg clearance allowed Fabian Reese to slot in Kiel’s second before the break. The visitors showed plenty of spirit in battling throughout the tricky away encounter, and deservedly pulled a goal back with a powerful Felix Lohkemper header from a Nathaniel Brown cross. A red card for Jens Castrop with just over 15 minutes remaining effectively ended Nuremberg’s hopes of completing a comeback, however.

Magdeburg 1-2 Sandhausen
Goals: 0-1 Dumic (25'), 0-2 Dumic (66'), 1-2 Piccini (89')

Defender Dario Dumic’s double offered basement side Sandhausen a lifeline in their fight to beat the drop as the visitors battled to a third away win of the campaign at Magdeburg. Gerhard Kleppinger’s team took the lead against the run of play when Dumic converted following an Alexander Esswein corner in the first half. The 31-year-old was there again to score at the far post following another set-piece after the break and although Cristiano Piccini reduced the arrears for the 12th-placed hosts towards the end, Sandhausen held on to keep their hopes of survival alive.

Greuther Fürth 2-1 Jahn Regensburg
Goals: 0-1 Owusu (48'), 1-1 Green (pen. 66'), 2-1 Abiama (77')

Greuther Fürth left Bavarian rivals Jahn Regensburg in the thick of a relegation battle with a 2-1 win at the Sportpark Ronhof. Regensburg – who started the weekend occupying the relegation play-off berth – boosted their survival hopes by taking the lead early in the second half through Prince Osei Owusu after a defensive mistake. A penalty allowed Julian Green to level matters midway through the second half, before Dickson Abiama slotted in a winner from outside the penalty area, taking Fürth nine points clear of their rivals.

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