2. Bundesliga
Goals from Julian Niehues, former USMNT international Terrence Boyd and Phillip Hercher helped Kaiserslautern to keep their promotion chances intact thanks to a come-from-behind win at Hannover.
Hannover 1-3 Kaiserslautern
Goals: 1-0 Köhn (17'), 1-1 Niehues (49') 1-2 Boyd (66'), 1-3 Hercher (90'+7)
Trailing their visitors by a single point going into this game, Hannover's pre-match plan was to at least keep fellow promotion-chasing Kaiserslautern in check. Die Roten were given a scare early on, however, when Dirk Schuster's side had a sight of goal via Boyd's long-range effort that fizzed over. Hoping to build on their 2-0 success against Fortuna Düsseldorf last time out, Hannover pressed forward at the Niedersachsenstadion and their adventurous play was rewarded when Derrick Köhn darted a shot across Andreas Luthe and in, the goalkeeper failing to keep the effort out despite getting a touch.
Kaiserslautern were brimming with confidence having won four of their last five games. That morale was on show for last season's promoted side when they levelled things up soon after the restart. When Boris Tomiak got a crucial touch on a corner, Niehues was on hand to head home the equaliser. It got even better for the Red Devils as the half progressed. Hendrick Zuck delivered a fine centre into the danger zone from the left and Boyd responded with a tasty finish to make it nine goals this season for the American sharp-shooter. Havard Nielsen had a chance to level things up as the game ticked towards full-time, but Kaiserslautern made sure they stayed on the coat-tails of the division's top three teams after Hercher added a third on the break before the end.
Teams
Hannover: Zieler (c) - Krajnc, Börner (Kerk 84') Neumann - Muroya, Besuschkow, Kunze (Beier 84'), Köhn - Nielsen - Tresoldi (Weydandt 54'), Teuchert (Ernst 65')
Unused subs: Weinkauf, Arrey-Mbi, Leopold, Dehm, Foti
Out: -
Coach: Stefan Leitl
Kaiserslautern: Luthe - Bormuth, Tomiak, Kraus - Zimmer (c), Niehues, Opoku (Lobinger 82'), Zuck - Hanslik (Hercher 76'), Redondo (Ritter 90')- Boyd
Unused subs: Spahic, Schad, Bünning, Stavridis, Durm, Basenach
Out: -
Coach: Dirk Schuster
Matchday 18 round-up
Karlsruhe 0-1 Paderborn
Goals: 0-1 Leipertz (90‘+2)
Paderborn kept themselves firmly in the promotion picture after a last-gasp winner at mid-table Karlsruhe on Friday evening gave them their first win in five league outings. The hosts started on the front foot and were the side to first register a major attempt on goal, after Marvin Wanitzek stung the palms of Paderborn goalkeeper Jannik Huth from a long-range free-kick, before the latter parried away to safety. The hosts continued to assert their authority, but an unfortunate combination of wayward finishing and fine goalkeeping once more, ensured they were unable to find the net. The same could be said for the visitors, who also spurned a number of opportunities, but only until Robert Leipertz found himself clean through on goal in the dying embers of the game, as the striker dispatched coolly to hand his side all three points.
Fortuna Düsseldorf 3-2 Magdeburg
Goals: 0-1 Kwarteng (6‘), 1-1 Kownacki (9‘), 2-1 Kownacki (34’), 2-2 Kwarteng (59’), 3-2 Appelkamp (84’)
Fortuna Düsseldorf managed to successfully arrest a run of two league defeats in a row, after beating strugglers Magdeburg in a high-scoring game. After the hosts missed an early penalty, it was the visitors who took a surprise lead after just six minutes, with midfielder Moritz Kwarteng opening the scoring with a neat inside-the-box finish. The hosts restored parity moments later through Dawid Kownacki before the Poland international doubled his tally for the game to give his side the lead going into the break. Kwarteng then bundled in his second after Magdeburg had crashed an effort against the post to bring the sides level. Felix Klaus then had a golden opportunity to net the winner but could only fire a delightful cross over the bar. The game was seemingly heading for a draw until Shinta Appelkamp rocketed in a thunderous left-footed strike six minutes from time to give the hosts a much-needed victory as they retain their position in the promotion race.
Darmstadt 2-0 Jahn Regensburg
Goals: 1-0 Manu (18’), 2-0 Holland (29’)
Darmstadt extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga 2 table after a comfortable victory over mid-table Jahn Regensburg. All the game’s major events seemed to occur in an action-packed first half as Braydon Manu opened the scoring for the hosts after just 18 minutes. It didn’t take long for Darmstadt to double their lead, this time defender Fabian Holland finding the net in the 29th minute. The visitors’ chances of regaining a foothold in the game were dealt a major blow just moments later though, as Canadian centre-back Scott Kennedy was shown a straight red for an ill-timed challenge, leaving his side with much of the game still to play with a man fewer. Whilst the hosts continued to dominate the possession statistics into the second half, they were remarkably unable to muster another shot on target in the game.
Heidenheim 2-0 Hansa Rostock
Goals: 1-0 Kleindienst (80’), 2-0 Pick (88’)
A late flurry of goals gave Heidenheim a hard-earned victory against a dogged Hansa Rostock side looking for their second win on the bounce. Hansa managed to successfully keep promotion-chasing Heidenheim at bay during a first half with few chances. The hosts were certainly expected to come out and impose themselves on the visiting defence as the second half got underway, but some resilient defending from Hansa along with a number of missed chances meant that Heidenheim could simply find no way through. But in the end, Heidenheim’s superiority shone through. Tim Kleindienst recorded his ninth of the campaign, before Florian Pick sealed the three points eight minutes later. Heidenheim remain in second position and seem well-placed for a top-flight foray. Hansa remain ninth.
Holstein Kiel 2-1 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 0-1 Abiama (30’), 1-1 Wahl (46’), 2-1 Lorenz (84‘)
Holstein Kiel produced an impressive second half comeback as they overcame Greuther Fürth in a mid-table clash on Saturday afternoon. Dickson Abiama put the visitors ahead amidst a hard-fought first half, giving the away side the lead at the break. But the hosts levelled things up immediately after. Centre-back Hauke Wahl came up with an unlikely goal, but it was one his team needed. That set Kiel up to go and win the game, and that’s exactly what they did. Just as the game threatened to finish even, former Bochum man Simon Lorenz netted the winner just six minutes from time. Both sides remain firmly in the middle of the pack, but the win puts Kiel up to eighth.
Hamburg 4-2 Eintracht Braunschweig
Goals: 1-0 Glatzel (3’), 2-0 Heyer (17’), 2-1 Kaufmann (30’), 3-1 Glatzel (49’), 3-2 Wiebe (81’), 4-2 Reis (90’+2)
Hamburg remain two points behind leaders Darmstadt after an entertaining six-goal encounter with fellow northerners Braunschweig. Robert Glatzel netted early in either half to extend his lead at the top of the division scoring chart to 13, but Eintracht fought back and set up a grandstand finish when Danilo Wiebe finished a counter with 10 minutes remaining to make it 3-2. Ludovit Reis finally settled matters in added time.
Watch: Highlights as HSV beat Braunschweig
Nuremberg 0-1 St. Pauli
Goals: 0-1 Medic (33’)
Pauli ended a five-game winless run with their first victory since beating HSV in October as the Fabian Hürzeler reign got off to a good – if not blockbuster – start. Jakov Medic’s header from a corner in the first half was all it took to edge and leapfrog Nuremberg in the table in a game of very few chances.
Arminia Bielefeld 1-2 Sandhausen
Goals: 0-1 Kinsombi (13’), 0-2 Esswein (33’), 1-2 Andrade (45’+1)
A Sandhausen side that made seven changes from their last game of 2022 leapt from bottom of the table up to 12th after victory away at Bielefeld, who themselves slipped back into the relegation zone. Christian Kinsombi put the visitors in front at the second attempt when Martin Fraisl parried his initial back heel. Alexander Esswein doubled the advantage when he turned in a cross into the six-yard box, but Andres Andrade got Arminia back into things on the stroke of half-time when he finished a free-kick into the box. Bielefeld were the dominant side after the break but failed to muster up any telling chances.