Bundesliga 2, Matchday 23 highlights: St. Pauli beat Kiel, Steffen Baumgart wins on HSV debut and Schalke suffer
After Schalke suffered an unwanted reverse against Magdeburg and Pauli took a big step towards promotion with a 4-3 win over top-two rivals Kiel, Hamburg picked up victory in Steffen Baumgart's bow at home to Elversberg.
Holstein Kiel 3-4 St. Pauli
Goals: 0-1 Afolayan (11'), 0-2 Hartel (34'), 0-3 Afolayan (36'), 1-3 Machino (53'), 1-4 Metcalfe (57'), 2-4 Mees (65'), 3-4 Bernhardsson (82')
Pauli opened up a sizeable lead on the promotion play-off spot after beating second-placed Holstein Kiel in a seven-goal thriller. The Bundesliga 2 pacesetters were 3-0 up at half-time, thanks to Oladapo Afolayan's brace and Marcel Hartel's 12th goal of the campaign. Shuto Machino reduced the arrears after the restart, only for Pauli's Connor Metcalfe and Jackson Irvine to combine for a goal made in Australia and restore Paul's three-goal advantage. Substitutes Joshua Mees and Alexander Bernhardsson struck to pull Kiel to within one goal of an equaliser, before Bernhardsson missed a great chance to level. Pauli hit the woodwork twice in a frantic finale as it stayed 4-3 to Fabian Hürzeler's team.
Hamburg 1-0 Elversberg
Goals: 1-0 Königsdörffer (53')
The Steffen Baumgart-era got underway with victory for Hamburg on Sunday, as HSV saw off Elversberg to claim a much-needed win. The Dinos started the day 10 points back from league-leading rivals St. Pauli and having won just one of their previous four league games, a run that ultimately led to the departure of Baumgart predecessor, Tim Walter. A rather sedate first half unfolded before Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer broke the deadlock eight minutes after the turnaround, a goal that proved to be the winner. It's just the start Baumgart would have wanted and gives HSV the platform to build a renewed promotion push.
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Magdeburg 3-0 Schalke
Goals: 1-0 Gnaka (17'), 2-0 El Hankouri (35'), 3-0 Ito (45'+2)
Hosts Magdeburg strengthened their position away from the Bundesliga 2 drop zone - and increased Schalke's relegation fears as a result - following a first-half masterclass at the MDCC-Arena. Baris Atik teed up Silas Gnaka, who applied a tidy finish for 1-0 before Mohammed El Hankouri increased the hosts' lead from the penalty spot after Cedric Brunner fouled Tatsuya Ito in the area. Ito then weighed in with a goal of his own in first-half stoppage time to all but end Schalke's challenge and leave the Royal Blues precariously placed and with plenty to ponder.
Osnabrück 1-0 Hannover
Goal: 1-0 Engelhardt (61’)
Hannover’s push for promotion suffered a setback as they were beaten by bottom-of-the-table Osnabrück, who won for only the second time this season. Erik Engelhardt scored the only goal of the game on the hour mark to bring an end to a 15-game winless streak and claim Lower Saxony derby bragging rights, denying Hannover the chance to move into the top three and taking them to within seven points of their nearest rivals at the foot of the table.
Eintracht Braunschweig 1-1 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 1-0 Kaufmann (14‘), 1-1 Maza (52‘)
Red card: Kurucay (77‘)
Eintracht Braunschweig were pegged back by Hertha Berlin for a point which helped neither side in their respective ambitions of survival or promotion. Fabio Kaufmann gave the hosts the lead in a first half which they dominated, but their failure to increase their lead came back to haunt them when Ibrahim Maza’s low drive brought Hertha level early in the second half. Hertha had chances to win it, but had to settle for a point, missing an opportunity to throw their hats into the ring for the promotion play-off frame.
Wehen Wiesbaden 1-2 Paderborn
Goals: 1-0 Kovacevic (30'), 1-1 Kostons (39'), 1-2 Bilbija (82')
Paderborn bounced back from defeat to Holstein Kiel with a come-from-behind win at Wehen Wiesbaden. The hosts struck against the run of play through Franko Kovačević, but Koen Kostons needed just nine minutes to restore parity. Paderborn missed a string of chances to forge ahead as Kostons hit the bar and Filip Bilbija a post, before getting the goal their performance deserved. Bilbija, who had set up the equaliser, was the match-winner to keep Paderborn in the promotion equation, whilst leaving Wiesbaden winless in four and looking nervously over their shoulder at the relegation zone.
Kaiserslautern 0-4 Karlsruher
Goals: 0-1 Wanitzek (51‘), 0-2 Matanovic (58‘), 0-3 Nebel (81‘), 0-4 Zivzivadze (90‘+1)
Karlsruher heaped the pressure on struggling Kaiserslautern with a 4-0 away win which left the hosts in a precarious position inside the bottom three. All the goals fell in the second half with Karlsruher – who had not scored in 11 years at the Fritz-Walter Stadion – taking advantage of some defensive disorganisation with some clinical finishing. Marvin Wanitzek opened the scoring five minutes into the second half, and though the Red Devils pushed for an immediate equaliser, they were struck by a sucker punch when Igor Matanovic converted from close range. Paul Nebel raced clear to add a third, before Budu Zivzivadze completed the rout with a header in stoppage time.
Greuther Fürth 2-1 Nuremberg
Goals: 0-1 Andersson (8'), 1-1 Sieb (27'), 2-1 Sieb (56')
Greuther came from behind to edge out 10-man Nuremberg thanks to an Armindo Sieb double on Sunday. The visitors were ahead inside eight minutes through Sebastian Andersson’s first goal for the club since joining Nuremberg in January. Sieb superbly drew Fürth level before the break, however, by unleashing a stunning curling effort into the far corner from the left edge of the Nuremberg box. There was another blow before the break for Nuremberg as Jens Castrop was shown a red card for two bookable offences and within 10 minutes of the restart, a second Sieb strike ensured Greuther made their advantage count.
Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-0 Hansa Rostock
Goals: 1-0 Klaus (16'), 2-0 Tanaka (18')
There was a comfortable victory for Fortuna Düsseldorf when Hansa Rostock came to visit on Matchday 23, a result that keeps Düsseldorf within arms reach of the top-three but Rostock remain second-bottom. The hosts took the lead in eye-catching fashion through Felix Klaus’ superb poked volley and doubled their lead within two minutes as Ao Tanaka excellently placed home from outside the box to wrap up the points in fewer than 20 minutes.
Watch: The top 5 goals on Matchday 23!
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