Union with a comeback
©IMAGO
At the start of the new year, SC Freiburg turned a deficit against Hamburger SV into a three-pointer in front of their home crowd and remained unbeaten in their fourth competitive game in a row with a 2-1 win against the Rothosen. Bottom side Mainz 05 lost a 2-0 lead away to Union Berlin and had to settle for a draw in the end. The penultimate Heidenheim kept its lead over Rheinhessen at three points with a 2-2 draw against 1. FC Köln.
Thanks to Igor Matanovic, SC Freiburg has successfully returned from the winter break. The Breisgauer team won 2-1 (0-0) against Hamburger SV, who are still waiting for their first away win since returning to the Bundesliga. While the Breisgauers maintain contact with the top third, the newcomers are stuck in the lower middle of the table. The guests took the lead in a turbulent second half through Luka Vuskovic (48th). But almost in return, Lucas Höler took a penalty, which Vincenzo Grifo converted. The scene had another impact: Daniel Elfadli received a yellow-red card for the foul. Hamburg played almost half of the game outnumbered and conceded their second goal late on by Matanovic (83′).
In the press conference before the game, coach Merlin Polzin had already indicated that winter newcomer Damion Downs would most likely be called into the squad just a few days after he signed with HSV. But the HSV coach went one step further and ordered the 21-year-old attacker into the starting line-up. However, the game largely went by on downs. His new teammates kept looking for him. However, Freiburg defenders Philipp Lienhart and Matthias Ginter had the striker well under control.
The first chances didn’t belong to the guests either. An unsuccessful cross from Lukas Kübler flew dangerously close to the right goal post (7th) and just a little later the advanced full-back hit the crossbar from an acute angle. The hosts continued to operate, but also failed due to a lack of coolness in the person of Höler (19th/23rd). The Hamburg team left the ball to the sports club and concentrated mainly on defensive work. And when they were looking for a way forward, Fábio Vieira and Jean-Luc Dompé found their match in defense chief Ginter with their crosses. Eight minutes before the break, SC keeper Noah Atubolu had to intervene for the first time. After a mistake by Lienhart, Downs appeared in front of the goalkeeper, but Atubolu got the ball before the striker.
The game developed more and more into a game of patience that HSV got better and better at. The pace increased, the possibilities increased. However, Atubolu kept the upper hand until the break. Immediately after the restart, the 23-year-old was left behind by Vuskovic’s header. However, Hamburg’s lead was short-lived: Grifo converted the penalty and Elfadli was sent off.
As the snowfall became increasingly heavy, the hosts increased the pressure in the majority – and were rewarded with Matanovic. With Freiburg’s eighth joker goal of the season, the 22-year-old provided the celebrated Lucky Punch, to which HSV could no longer find an answer despite intensive efforts.
Mainz draw on Fischer’s return to Union
When he returned to the An der Alten Försterei stadium, coach Urs Fischer continued the upward trend with FSV Mainz 05, but missed his first league win with his new team. The Rheinhessen drew 2-2 (1-0) from Fischer’s former club 1. FC Union Berlin on matchday 16. In the table, the 05ers remain in last place under Fischer (59) and have been waiting for a win for twelve league games. The gap to 1. FC Heidenheim in 17th place is still three points. There are now three of 1. FC St. Pauli in the relegation place.
Nadiem Amiri (30th minute) and former Union player Benedict Hollerbach (69th) scored the goals for Rheinhessen with his first Mainz Bundesliga goal in front of 22,012 spectators. Woo-yeong Jeong (77th) and Marin Ljubicic (86th) were able to avert defeat for the hosts with their goals in a dramatic final phase.
Youngster El Mala saves Cologne point in Heidenheim
The crisis in results at 1. FC Köln continues in the new football year. At the start of the winter break, the promoted team did not get beyond a 2-2 (1-2) draw at 1. FC Heidenheim, who were in great danger of relegation, and have now been without a win in seven Bundesliga games. After a half-time deficit, top talent Said El Mala, who was substituted at half-time, saved Cologne’s draw (48th minute). In the first half, Heidenheim took the lead twice thanks to a dream goal from Marvin Pieringer (15th) and Julian Niehues (26th). Eric Martel had made it 1-1 (18th).
After a cross from Jan Schöppner, Pieringer scored with his back to the goal – half falling, half with an overhead kick. Even his teammates covered their mouths in amazement. This action, worth seeing, was the start of a turbulent phase with three goals in eleven minutes. After a header from defender Martel, Heidenheim’s goalkeeper Diant Ramaj, who had previously reacted brilliantly to Cologne’s chances, was also beaten. But coach Frank Schmidt’s team was unimpressed by the equalizer. Niehues successfully followed up after a corner and an initially blocked shot. Of all people, Cologne’s new signing Jahmai Simpson-Pusey bounced the ball into the goal. The defensive player made his debut like storm talent Fynn Schenten, who received his first market value on Transfermarkt on Saturday.
The Cologne team have been without success in the Bundesliga since November 2nd (4-1 against Hamburger SV) – and after the break they tried to stop this negative trend. El Mala brought momentum into the Cologne game not only because of his goal to make it 2-2. After coming on as a substitute, the youngster only needed two minutes to gain attention with his long-range goal. Jakub Kaminski then narrowly missed, Ragnar Ache was denied by FCH keeper Ramaj. The game remained exciting until the end and could have gone either way. Ramaj prevented Cologne from scoring the winning goal in the final phase in front of 15,000 spectators.