Bundesliga 2, Matchday 15: Schalke cement top spot, Elversberg leapfrog promotion rivals Paderborn
Bundesliga 2 leaders Schalke remain top of the pile for another week after defeating Fortuna Düsseldorf, while Elversberg leapfrogged Paderborn into second place after edging their promotion six-pointer.
Matchday 15 results
Fortuna Düsseldorf 0-2 Schalke
Goals: 0-1 Karaman (pen. 45’+2), 0-2 Becker 81’
Sent off: Oberdorf 55'
Schalke consolidated top spot in Bundesliga 2 after getting the better of a struggling Düsseldorf side. Kenan Karaman gave the Royal Blues the lead from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time, and the home side's task was made even more difficult early in the second half when Tim Oberdorf was shown a second yellow card. Vitalie Becker secured the points for the visitors with a composed finish late on.
Preußen Münster 2-2 Hannover
Goals: 0-1 Källmann 41', 0-2 Yokota 73', 1-2 Batista Meier (pen. 90'+1), 2-2 Sertdemir 90'+6
Preußen Münster dented Hannover's promotion push on Friday evening with an incredible comeback in stoppage time. The visitors appeared to be on course for all three points after Benjamin Källman's opening just before the interval, and even more so when Daisuke Yokota doubled their advantage in the closing stages. However, Oliver Batista Meier pulled a goal back from the spot in added time, with Zidan Sertdemir snatching a draw for the home side just before the final whistle.
Kaiserslautern 3-1 Dynamo Dresden
Goals: 1-0 Skyttä 17, 2-0 Ritter 52’, 3-0 Haas 70’, 3-1 Lemmer 76’
Kaiserlautern bounced back from their shock defeat at struggling Braunschweig last week with victory over another side at the wrong end of the table. The Red Devils took the lead with their first shot of the game through Naatan Skyttä, and added two more in the second half via Marlon Ritter and Mika Haas to set the course for the win. Dresden pulled one back in the closing stages but Jakob Lemmer’s effort was too little too late as Lautern kept their name in the promotion mix.
Darmstadt 3-2 Karlsruhe
Goals: 0-1 Maglica 38‘ o.g., 1-1 Richter 45‘+1, 2-1 Lidberg 48‘, 2-2 Schleusener 60‘, 3-2 Maglica 63‘
Darmstadt climbed into the promotion play-off spot after claiming three points in a thrilling back-and-forth encounter with Karlsruhe on Saturday evening. The hosts dominated from the outset, but it was a Matej Maglica own goal which would break the deadlock for the visitors. A stunning Marco Richter free-kick before the break brought the Lilies back level before Isac Lidberg thrust them into the lead shortly after the restart. Fabian Schleusener equalised for Karlsruhe against the run of play before Maglica made amends for his earlier mistake by heading home the winner.
Paderborn 1-2 Elversberg
Goals: 0-1 Ebnoutalib 32’, 1-1 Michel 52’, 1-2 Schmahl 76’
Sent off: Brackelmann 57’
Elversberg leapfrogged promotion rivals Paderborn to go second in the standings thanks to a narrow victory on Saturday afternoon. The hosts were the better side in the first half and created a number of presentable chances, but ultimately paid the price for failing to convert them. Younes Ebnoutalib showed them how it was done on 32 minutes with fine finish following a corner. Sven Michel equalised after the break but a red card for teammate Calvin Brackelmann moments later swung the tide in Elversberg’s favour. The visitors took full advantage and netted the winner in the closing stages through Frederik Schmahl.
Bochum 1-0 Arminia Bielefeld
Goals: 1-0 Hofmann 70’
Bochum earned a fourth league win from their last five outings after edging a tight encounter at home to mid-table rivals Bielefeld. There were chances at both ends in an entertaining first half, with both goalkeepers called into action to keep the match goalless. The decsive moment came midway through the second half when Philipp Hofmann headed in from close range from Moritz-Broni Kwarteng’s cross.
Hertha Berlin 0-2 Magdeburg
Goals: 0-1 Nollenberger 74', 0-2 Ghrieb 90'+10
Hertha Berlin's seven-game winning run across all competitions came to an end as they were defeated 2-0 on home turf by Magdeburg. The visitors were by far the better team throughout and, after several missed opportunities, they gained the lead through Alexander Nollenberger with just over 15 minutes remaining - the first goal the hosts had conceded in 554 Bundesliga 2 minutes. The Old Lady pushed forward in search of an equaliser and, although Linus Gechter hit the post late on, Rayan Ghrieb's last-gasp strike on the counter secured the points. Despite staying rock bottom, Magdeburg are now just one point adrift of the automatic safety spots.
Nuremberg 2-2 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 1-0 Lochoshvili 48', 1-1 Klaus 54', 2-1 Zoma 57', 2-2 Keller 61'
Four goals in 13 second-half minutes saw Nuremberg draw with Fürth in Heiko Vogel's first game in charge of the Cloverleaves. After an intense first period lacking clear-cut chances, Luka Lochoshvili's header opened the scoring before Felix Klaus equalised soon after. Mohamed Alì Zoma's low, deflected shot restored Nuremberg's advantage, but Aaron Keller's powerful strike levelled things up once more. Ultimately, neither side could find a winner as Nuremberg stay 11th. Meanwhile, the point moves Fürth out of the automatic relegation zone.
Eintracht Braunschweig 1-1 Holstein Kiel
Goals: 1-0 Aydin (pen.) 25' 1-1 Niehoff 45+6'
Red cards: Frenkert 43', Rosenboom 53'
Braunschweig and Kiel battled to a point apiece, with both eager to put ground between them and the relegation spots. The hosts made a bright start and were sent in front from the spot by Mehmet Can Aydin, only for a straight red card to Lukas Frenkert for sliding in to stop a Kiel attack to allow the visitors back in. Niklas Niehoff finished tidily in first-half stoppage time, only for Lasse Rosenboom to pick up a second yellow shortly after the restart and level up the numbers at 10 vs. 10. The game then ebbed away to a draw.
Watch: The top 5 goals from Matchday 15
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