Bundesliga 2, Matchday 17: Paderborn deny Darmstadt, Fortuna for All and Schalke slip up at Braunschweig
Fortuna Düsseldorf hosted their next free game and top-two clubs Schalke and Elversberg both dropped points on the road in the final round of Bundesliga 2 fixtures before the winter break.
Matchday 17 results
Eintracht Braunschweig 2-1 Schalke
Goals: 1-0 Can Aydin 60‘, 2-0 Sané 85‘, 2-1 El-Faouzi 88‘
Braunschweig prevented Schalke from extending their lead at the top of the Bundesliga 2 table over the winter break with a shock 2-1 home win. After a first half of few chances, the hosts took the game by the scruff of the neck with former Schalke man Mehmet Can Aydin rifling in a rebound at the hour-mark. Fellow ex-Schalke player Sidi Sané doubled the Lions‘ lead towards the end of the game, but Soufiane El-Faouzi reduced the arrears minutes later. Schalke hit the woodwork twice late on but ultimately couldn’t find an equaliser.
Preußen Münster 1-1 Elversberg
Goals: 0-1 Ebnoutalib 34' (pen.), 1-1 Amenyido 90+4'
Missed penalty: Batista Meier 10'
Elversberg clawed back a point on Schalke to reduce the gap at the top to three over the winter break, but will be disappointed they didn't hold on for a win after Younes Ebnoutalib gave them the lead from the spot. Despite the fortunate timing of Münster's equaliser, the hosts were well worth at least one goal after creating huge early pressure and Oliver Batista Meier missing a 10th-minute penalty.
Holstein Kiel 2-1 Dynamo Dresden
Goals: 0-1 Vermeij 12‘, 1-1 Harres 29‘, 2-1 Nekic 51'
The hosts started the first half brightly, but found themselves a goal down early on after Vincent Vermeij powered home a header from a corner. The Storks soon regained their rhythm though, and eventually equalised through Phil Harres after Dresden surrendered possession in their own half. Kiel completed the fightback through Ivan Nekic's header from an excellent corner.
Hertha Berlin 1-1 Arminia Bielefeld
Goals: 1-0 Seguin 67', 1-1 Russo 90'+6
Red card: Leistner 85'
Stefano Russo scored an injury-time equaliser as Arminia Bielefeld took advantage of Toni Leistner's red card to snatch a point off Hertha Berlin. A game of few chances burst to life in the second half when Hertha's Paul Seguin fired in from 18 yards. However, it was one-way traffic in the opposite direction after Leistner was sent off for a foul on Isaiah Young with five minutes of normal time remaining. Tjark Ernst denied teenager Eyyüb Yasar, but not Russo, who found the top corner with virtually the last kick of the game to leave Hertha winless in three.
Paderborn 2-2 Darmstadt
Goals: 0-1 Richter 4', 0-2 Corredor 37', 1-2 Baur 55', 2-2 Klaas 85' (pen.)
Darmstadt were held by fellow promotion hopefuls Paderborn, who produced a stirring second-half comeback. Marco Richter fired the visitors into an early lead with a deflected volley, and Killian Corredor was able to add a deserved second as Darmstadt controlled the first period. Paderborn responded after the restart with Mika Baur's superb finish from 25 yards out giving them hope, before Sebastian Klaas slotted in a late penalty to leave the sides outside the top two, level on 33 points, ahead of the winter break.
Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 1-0 Itten 24’, 2-0 Muslija 65’, 2-1 Futkeu (pen.) 86’
Düsseldorf ended their run of three straight defeats with a commanding display to climb out of the relegation zone, above Fürth. Dominating possession and chances, Markus Anfang’s side were rewarded when Cedric Itten poked home Florent Muslija’s pinpoint cross to score his sixth Bundesliga 2 goal of the season. Muslija then turned goalscorer, netting directly from a corner to end his three month goal drought. Noel Futkeu’s late penalty was unable to spark a comeback as Fürth’s winless streak stretches to five.
Bochum 2-2 Karlsruhe
Goals: 1-0 Onyeka 35’, 1-1 Wanitzek 47’, 2-1 Onyeka 69’, 2-2 Fukuda 86’
Karlsruhe ended a five-game losing run by twice coming from behind to level at Bochum. Bayer Leverkusen loanee Francis Onyeka opened the scoring for the home side when he met a Philipp Hofmann knockdown from a corner. The visitors responded immediately after half-time when Marvin Wanitzek put away the rebound from Shio Fukuda’s saved shot. Onyeka got his and Bochum’s second to restore the advantage with a header from a cross, but they were pegged back again with a Fukuda header of his own that keeps Karlsruhe a point ahead of Bochum at the season’s halfway mark.
Kaiserslautern 2-3 Magdeburg
Goals: 0-1 Atik 22‘, 0-2 Zukowski 35‘, 0-3 Nollenberger 49‘, 1-3 Hanslik 53‘, 2-3 Ritter 56‘ (pen.)
Both sides started the game well, but it was Magdeburg who broke the deadlock. Baris Atik pounced on a loose ball after a good save from Julian Krahl, and they almost added a second through Philipp Hercher shortly after. Mateusz Zukowski then made sure the visitors went into the break two goals to the good with his long range strike. A frantic second half saw Alexander Nollenberger add a third almost immediately after the re-start, before Daniel Hanslik offered a quick response. Noah Pesch saw his goal ruled for offside moments after, before Marlon Ritter notched Lautern’s second consolation from the spot.
Nuremberg 2-1 Hannover
Goals: 0-1 Källman 19', 1-1 Lubach 44', 2-1 Zoma 49'
Hannover were left ruing a defeat that left them four points behind the top four over the winter break, having taken an early lead via Benjamin Källman and seemingly being in control of the encounter. Rafael Lubach suddenly struck before the interval, however, and a delightful chip from Mohamed Alì Zoma at the start of the second period saw Nuremberg take a narrow win that sees them jump into the top half in eighth.
Watch: The top 5 goals on Matchday 17
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