Bundesliga 2, Matchday 26 video highlights: Kaiserslautern falter in Paderborn after Hamburg down Magdeburg
Hamburg beat promotion rivals Magdeburg, before Paderborn came up trumps in a wild promotion six-pointer at home to Kaiserslautern and Cologne maintained the pressure on top spot...
Paderborn 5-3 Kaiserslautern
Goals: 1-0 Zehtner (2'), 2-0 Obermaier (pen, 8'), 3-0 Bibija (15'), 3-1 Hanslik (pen, 45'+1), 3-2 Ache (pen 45'+8), 3-3 Ache (61'), 4-3 Grimaldi (72'), Zehnter (90'+5)
Paderborn reduced the gap to leaders Hamburg to just three points following a thrilling win over Kaiserslautern. The home side surrendered a three-goal lead, only to wrestle back control in the second period in a result which stopped their guests from leapfrogging them into second place in the league. A classic promotion six-pointer that had it all. Drama to the very end.
Magdeburg 0-3 Hamburg
Goals: 0-1 Königsdörffer (9'), 0-2 Mathisen (og, 15'), 0-3 Königsdörffer (53')
Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer starred as Hamburg cemented top spot with a comfortable win away to Magdeburg, who began the weekend only three points behind the leaders. The Berlin-born forward hammered in the opening goal with under 10 minutes on the clock, before whipping in a cross that Marcus Mathisen inadvertently put past his own goalkeeper for 2-0. HSV were in total control as Königsdörffer added his second soon after the restart, but Magdeburg didn't wilt and had chances to reduce the arrears in the final 15 minutes. At the other end, meanwhile, only the woodwork denied Königsdörffer his hat-trick.
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Cologne 2-1 Darmstadt
Goals: 1-0 Thielmann (1’), 1-1 Hornby (pen, 25’), 2-1 Waldschmidt (pen 80’)
Red card: Hornby (66’)
A deserved victory for the home side, who took a first-minute lead through Jan Thielmann and then bossed the game for 90 minutes. Darmstadt threatened an upset after scoring a first-half equaliser from the penalty spot through Fraser Hornby but then spent the rest of the game camped inside their own half. Once down to 10 men in the 66th minute, following Hornby's second yellow, they crumbled, conceding a penalty – converted by Luca Waldschmidt in the 80th minute – and never looking capable of getting back in it. Cologne move up to second, just a point behind Hamburg, leapfrogging Paderborn in the process.
Schalke 1-2 Hannover
Goals: 1-0 Antwi-Adej (27'), 1-1 Rochelt (87'), 1-2 Nielsen (88')
Hannover remain unbeaten in 2025 after recording a late comeback win over mid-table Schalke. Christopher Antwi-Adjei gave the Royal Blues a deserved first-half lead, but they faded as the game wore on. The warning signs were there as Jessic Ngankam tested Loris Karius, before substitute Jannik Rochelt levelled with three minutes of normal time remaining after Lars Gindorf's strike had come back off the bar. Sixty seconds later, the visitors were in front as Håvard Nielsen took advantage of a Karius mistake to complete the turnaround and keep Hannover within touching distance of the promotion places.
Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 Jahn Regensburg
Goals: 1-0 Zimmermann (41’)
Looking to overturn a run of two consecutive defeats, Fortuna began the afternoon against bottom-placed Regensburg on the back foot, with the visitors going close early on through Noah Ganaus and Sargis Adamyan. Düsseldorf grew into the game, however, taking the lead five minutes before half-time thanks to an improvised finish from Matthias Zimmermann. The hosts continued to dominate in the second half, barely allowing Regensburg a chance, and deserved the three points, but couldn’t find another way past Julian Pollersbeck, who was in inspired form.
Eintracht Braunschweig 1-5 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Reese (8’), 0-2 Scherhant (42’), 0-3 Nikolaou (og, 44‘), 0-4 Reese (69’), 1-4 Tempelmann (90’+1), 1-5 Winkler (90’+3)
Hertha flew out of the gates in this relegation six-pointer away in Braunschweig, with Fabian Reese providing the lead inside 10 minutes with a rocket from inside the box. After Reese's early goal, Braunschweig found their way into the game, but the Berliners increased their lead to 3-0 within two minutes before the break. Reese struck again in the second half to kill the contest off, but it wasn’t to be the last of the goals, as celebrations for Lino Tempelmann’s consolation in stoppage time were quickly cut short by Marten Winkler for Hertha’s biggest win of the season.
Nuremberg 3-0 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 1-0 Justvan (4’), 2-0 Justvan (39’), 3-0 Tzimas (45’+4)
Nuremberg claimed the derby spoils in Franconia to move up to seventh in the table on the back of a devastating first-half display against Greuther Fürth. The hosts struck with their first attack of the game when Julian Justvan coolly picked out the bottom corner across goal inside four minutes. Fürth had much of the play after that but without really threatening. Miroslav Klose’s side then doubled their advantage when Justvan was presented his second with a tap-in at the far post. Stefanos Tzimas put the tie to bed on the stroke of half-time when he ran onto a long ball. Fürth had no response in the second period and sit 12th after their three-game unbeaten streak was ended.
Elversberg 0-1 Preußen Münster
Goals: 0-1 Scherder (70’)
Following a hard-fought draw away at Kaiserslautern last time out, Elversberg were hoping to get their promotion bid back on track. The visitors, in a relegation battle, made life very hard for Elversberg, who enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and chances, with Fisnik Asllani and Muhammed Damar looking particularly lively. However, a 70th-minute corner for the visitors found Simon Scherder unmarked at the back post for a tap in. The resilient Münster outfit sat back, managing to defend their slender lead, to mark the first time Elversberg have failed to score in a home game this season.
Hoping to bounce back from defeat in Darmstadt last time out, Karslruhe welcomed Ulm, who themselves were without a win since January. The hosts dominated much of the possession and the chances, going close through Fabian Schleusener and Marvin Wanitzek, whilst Ulm looked to hurt them on the counter-attack. The closest either side came was early in the second half, when Robin Heußer struck the crossbar, but ultimately Ulm stood firm and Karlsruhe couldn’t convert their xG of 2.02 into any meaningful breakthrough.
Watch: The top 5 goals on Matchday 26
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