Davie Selke (2nd r.) scored the only goal of the game as SV Werder Bremen beat Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 on Thomas Schaaf's return to the Weser Stadion
Davie Selke (2nd r.) scored the only goal of the game as SV Werder Bremen beat Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 on Thomas Schaaf's return to the Weser Stadion
Paderborn and Bremen pick up Saturday wins; Augsburg held
Cologne - SC Paderborn 07 and SV Werder Bremen picked up crucial victories on a thrilling Saturday of Matchday 31 action, while FC Augsburg's European push stuttered.
SV Werder Bremen 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
bundesliga.com rounds up the results from a dramatic afternoon in the German top flight...
SV Werder Bremen boosted their hopes of securing a place in the UEFA Europa League with a 1-0 victory over Thomas Schaaf’s Eintracht Frankfurt.
RB Leipzig-bound Davie Selke chested home the only goal of the game in the second half, after Franco Di Santo, Zlatko Junuzovic, Izet Hajrovic and Theo Gebre Selassie had all gone close for die Werderaner.
Selke fortuitous
The hosts, buoyed by last weekend’s come-from-behind draw at Paderborn, almost took the lead mid-way through the first half when Di Santo headed Jakob Sternberg’s cross inches over the bar. Junuzovic then went close with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area, but despite their obvious territorial advantage, the teams headed into the break with the score level.
Werder continued to dominate after the restart and were only denied an opener by an outstanding double save from Kevin Trapp, who smothered Gebre Selassie’s follow-up after parrying Hajrovic’s effort into the path of the Czech Republic international. Selke finally put Viktor Skripnik’s side in front when he forced the ball home via his chest in the 66th minute, and the 20-year-old’s fortuitous strike proved to be the winner as Werder closed the gap on the top six and left Frankfurt’s European ambitions hanging by a thread.
Line-ups and statistics
SC Freiburg 1-2 SC Paderborn 07
SC Paderborn 07 came from behind to secure a priceless 2-1 victory at SC Freiburg, who drop below the East Westphalians in the Bundesliga table.
Nils Petersen gave the hosts the lead before half time, but a well-taken brace from Lukas Rupp handed Andre Breitenreiter’s side a deserved victory in the Black Forest.
Rupp at the double
Paderborn went into this game without an away win – or goal – since their 2-1 victory at Hannover 96 on Matchday 21, but they nearly took the lead at the Schwarzwald-Stadion when Marc Vucinovic’s free-kick struck the outside of the post. The hosts soon settled, however, and after Admir Mehmedi had gone close to breaking the deadlock with a deft chip that was well saved by Lukas Kruse, Petersen struck from close-range to give the hosts a 1-0 half-time lead.
Undeterred, Paderborn came out fighting in the second half and forced an equaliser with twenty minutes remaining when Rupp capitalised on some desperate home defending to turn in Moritz Stoppelkamp’s pass. Ten minutes later, Rupp fired home his second of the game following a neat one-two with Srdjan Lakic, lifting Paderborn above Freiburg and into 14th place with three matches remaining.
Line-ups and statistics
FC Augsburg 0-0 1. FC Köln
European hopefuls FC Augsburg were forced to settle for a goalless draw against a dogged 1. FC Köln side at the SGL Arena.
The Bavarians dominated proceedings and created several opportunities to snatch a winner, but a combination of wayward finishing and superb goalkeeping by Timo Horn denied the hosts all three points.
Augsburg wasteful
Chasing a place in next season’s Europa League, Augsburg enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and should have taken the lead when Horn punched a deep cross into the Köln penalty area straight to Markus Feulner. The former FC Bayern München midfielder’s shot was on target, but Dominik Maroh managed to throw himself in the way of the ball and clear the danger.
Die Fuggerstädter continued to dominate after half-time but failed to fashion an opening of note until the 72nd minute, when Jeong-Ho Hong headed a Tobias Werner free-kick wide of the target. Horn made amends for his earlier error when he parried another Hong header out of harm’s way late on, as Köln held on for their ninth goalless draw of the season.
Line-ups and statistics
