The race for promotion to the Bundesliga is not over yet. The top trio has moved closer together.
The three-way battle is raging like never before: Two game days before the end of the second division season, nothing has been decided in the race for promotion to the Bundesliga. Leaders Darmstadt 98 and pursuers 1. FC Heidenheim have reopened the door for Hamburger SV with their defeats. Darmstadt (64 points), Heidenheim (61) and HSV (60) are within four points.
Hamburg set an exclamation mark with the 5:1 (4:0) at Jahn Regensburg. “I was very, very satisfied with the presentation,” said coach Tim Walter on “Sky”: “We remain ourselves, we are HSV.” Too much euphoria was not appropriate for the two-time goalscorer Sonny Kittel: “We have to do our job.” On Saturday, HSV wants to up their game against SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
Scorer Robert Glatzel initiated the first away win after seven games without a win with his 19th goal of the season (5th). Kittel with a brace (17th/penalty after a foul on Glatzel and 45th + 1) and Miro Muheim (30th) ensured clear conditions even before the change. Kaan Caliskaner (57th) scored the 1: 4 for Regensburg in front of 15,210 spectators before Filip Bilbija (81st) restored the old gap.
There was a setback for Heidenheim. Coach Frank Schmidt’s team lost 2-3 (2-1) at SC Paderborn. Tim Kleindienst (30th) with his 24th goal of the season and Denis Thomalla (37th) had turned the game around for Heidenheim after Kai Klefisch (26th) went behind. A double strike by Marvin Pieringer (50th) and Florent Muslija (52nd) put Paderborn back on the road to victory.
In the remaining two games against SV Sandhausen and Regensburg, Heidenheim still has the opportunity to make direct promotion perfect.
Darmstadt awards match point
Darmstadt has meanwhile also missed its second chance for promotion. A week after the bankruptcy against FC St. Pauli (0: 3), the Hessians also lost at Hannover 96 with 1: 2 (1: 2). In front of 30,000 spectators, Havard Nielsen gave Lower Saxony the lead in the tenth minute. In the 32nd minute, Cedric Teuchert increased the lead to 2-0 with his 13th goal of the season, before the guests came close through Phillip Tietz (43rd), who scored for the eleventh time this season.
In the final phase, Darmstadt’s Matthias Bader (86′) and Braydon Manu (90′ + 3′) each received yellow-red cards. Darmstadt has its third match point against 1. FC Magdeburg on Friday.
In the bottom of the table things are looking bleak for Sandhausen (1:2 against Hansa Rostock) and Regensburg (both 28 points). Both clubs have more than one foot in the 3rd division, Arminia Bielefeld on the relegation place (33 points) is hardly within reach. Bielefeld drew new hope from the three at 1. FC Kaiserslautern (2-1). “We’re happy about the win,” said Arminia coach Uwe Koschinat: “We’ll have to do more next weekend.”