2. League remains exciting
© Imago
The promotion struggle in the 2nd Bundesliga remains exciting even after the 31st game day: Both league leaders 1. FC Köln and pursuer Hamburger SV lost on Sunday and missed it decisively at the top of the table. The north Germans had to take a 1-2 defeat against the Karlsruher SC in front of a home crowd, the Hannover 96 Domstadt were 0-1. The 1. FC Kaiserslautern is back on cloth with the promotion places with a 2-1 home win against Schalke 04.
The 1. FC Köln has a great chance. Despite the support of around 15,000 fans who traveled with us, the league leader lost 0: 1 (0: 0) at Hannover 96 and thus missed using the mistakes in almost all competitors in places. In the 50th minute, FC defender Leart Paçarada saw the yellow-red card, just seven minutes later Lars Gindorf scored for Hanover (57th). The hosts proved to be brave and persistent opponent in the first game after the separation of coach André Breitenreiter. For a comeback in the promotion race, this convincing appearance in front of 49,000 spectators is probably too late.
The FC supporters had made an appointment for a huge fan march in Hanover. Once in the stadium, they delayed the kick -off by burning up pyrotechnics. What they got to see afterwards was a great disappointment. Guided by three interim coaches (Lars Barlemann, Christian Schulz and Cologne legend Dirk Lottner) should have taken the lead early by Hyunju Lee (8th minute) and Nicolo Tresoldi (19th). The Cologne names, on the other hand, looked very passive for a long time and only came to their first chance by Florian Kainz in the 39th minute. Only playing outnumbered, the FC was hardly dangerous in the second half. On the contrary: In the 66th minute, the former 96 Timo Hüber had to save after a corner kick on the Cologne goal line.
HSV stumbles again: 1-2 against Karlsruher SC
Hamburger SV has again missed an important step towards the Bundesliga. The team of coach Merlin Polzin received the second home defeat in a row with the 1: 2 (1: 2) against Karlsruher SC and has been winning without a win for three games. Louy Ben Farhat (30th minute) and Marvin Wanitzek (45.+3) shocked the HSV twice with their goals for the KSC. The converted penalty by Davie Selke (42nd) for the meantime was too little for the hosts. The fact that the HSV still has good prospects for returning to the first class three games before the end of the season is also due to the weakness of the promotion competition. The KSC itself has maintained its chance of the promotion relegation place three.
The game was competitive in front of 57,000 fans in the re -sold folk park stadium. The HSV struggled to check the game. But the guests were good and tried to get dangerously in front of the opposing goal by counterattacking. The Hamburgers were too lacking in their offensive campaigns. Then the shock for the HSV: With her first successful attack, the Karlsruhe took the lead by 18-year-old Ben Farhat.
After all, the hosts were not impressed for long. The penalty that was brought out by Adam Karabec and converted by Selke to his 20th SizeToror was the deserved reward for the effort. But the joy did not last for a long time. In added time, Wanitzek used the confusion in HSV defense for his twelfth goal of the season. According to video evidence, referee Florian Lechner decided on goal. After the break, the HSV players looked like the role. Goalkeeper Daniel Heuer-Fernandes had to save Bambasé Conté (50th). A minute later, Ben Farhat only hit the post. The Hamburgers continued to make life difficult and were too harmless. The KSC was hardly in danger. The guests were only lucky once when Robert Glatzel (81st) hit the post.
FCK coach Lieberknecht celebrates dream debut against Schalke
Torsten Lieberknecht has succeeded in a dream debut against FC Schalke 04 as a coach of 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The Palatinate earned 2-1 (1-0) at home and can calculate opportunities for the climb again. The FCK continues to take seventh place in the 2nd Bundesliga, but the gap to the relegation place is only one counter. In addition, after Markus Bieb’s change of coaching to Lieberknecht, Lautern ended his negative run of three defeats in a row. Schalke, on the other hand, still has no sure relegation due to the defeat.
Daisuke Yokota (35th minute) put the FCK in the lead before Schalkes Moussa Sylla (61.) equalized from nowhere after the change of sides. Lautern’s striker Ragnar Ache (77th) made the decision in the final phase. The 49,327 spectators in the sold-out Fritz-Walter-Stadion saw superior home side. After a cross from Kenny Prince Redondo, Schalke’s goalkeeper Justin Heekeren was only able to have Ragnar Ache’s header in front of the feet of Daisuke Yokota, who scored for the lead.
With the restart, the game picked up. Daniel Hanslik (46.) and Ache (52nd) would have had to achieve the second FCK goal free-standing. On the other hand, Emil Højlund gave the equalization (50th). This then achieved Sylla after 61 minutes. But the FCK had the better end for itself, because Ache hit the celebrated 2-1 winning goal.