Following Schalke’s unexpected defeat against Magdeburg and St. Pauli’s significant advancement towards promotion with a 4-3 victory over top-two contenders Kiel, Hamburg secured a victory in Steffen Baumgart’s inaugural match at home against Elversberg.
Holstein Kiel 3-4 St. Pauli
St. Pauli extended their lead in the promotion play-off race by securing a significant victory over second-placed Holstein Kiel in a thrilling encounter that saw seven goals scored. Leading the Bundesliga 2 standings, St. Pauli dominated the first half with a 3-0 advantage, courtesy of a brace from Oladapo Afolayan and Marcel Hartel’s 12th goal of the season. Despite Shuto Machino’s goal for Holstein Kiel early in the second half, St. Pauli’s Connor Metcalfe and Jackson Irvine collaborated to restore their team’s three-goal lead. Although substitutes Joshua Mees and Alexander Bernhardsson narrowed the gap for Kiel, who came within one goal of equalizing, Bernhardsson missed a crucial opportunity to level the score. St. Pauli endured tense moments as Kiel pressed for an equalizer, hitting the woodwork twice in the final moments of the match. Ultimately, Fabian Hürzeler’s team emerged victorious with a final score of 4-3.
Hamburg 1-0 Elversberg
The Steffen Baumgart era commenced with a victory for Hamburg on Sunday, as HSV secured a crucial win against Elversberg. Beginning the day trailing league-leading rivals St. Pauli by 10 points and having only won one of their previous four league matches, Hamburg’s need for a positive result was evident. This recent run of form ultimately led to the departure of Baumgart’s predecessor, Tim Walter. The match unfolded with a rather uneventful first half, but Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer broke the deadlock eight minutes after halftime, sealing the victory for Hamburg. This successful start is precisely what Baumgart would have hoped for, providing HSV with a foundation to launch a renewed push for promotion.
Magdeburg 3-0 Schalke
Magdeburg bolstered their position above the relegation zone in Bundesliga 2 and exacerbated Schalke’s concerns of relegation with a dominant display in the first half at the MDCC-Arena. Baris Atik orchestrated the opening goal by setting up Silas Gnaka, who calmly finished to give Magdeburg a 1-0 lead. Shortly thereafter, Mohammed El Hankouri extended the hosts’ advantage from the penalty spot after Cedric Brunner fouled Tatsuya Ito in the box. Ito himself contributed to the scoring with a goal just before halftime, effectively putting an end to Schalke’s hopes and leaving them in a precarious position, prompting serious contemplation from the Royal Blues.
Osnabrück 1-0 Hannover
Hannover’s aspirations for promotion encountered a setback as they faced a defeat against Osnabrück, positioned at the bottom of the table, who secured their second victory of the season. Erik Engelhardt’s solitary goal, scored on the hour mark, terminated a 15-game winless streak for Osnabrück and bestowed upon them the honor of triumph in the Lower Saxony derby. This outcome thwarted Hannover’s opportunity to ascend into the top three positions and bridged the gap to their closest rivals at the bottom of the table to a mere seven points.
Eintracht Braunschweig 1-1 Hertha Berlin
Eintracht Braunschweig was held to a draw by Hertha Berlin, a result that failed to significantly aid either team in their pursuit of survival or promotion. Fabio Kaufmann provided the hosts with the lead in the first half, during which they displayed dominance. However, their inability to extend their lead proved costly as Ibrahim Maza’s low strike early in the second half equalized the scoreline for Hertha. Despite having opportunities to secure a victory, Hertha ultimately settled for a point, missing a chance to strengthen their position in the promotion playoff contention.
Wehen Wiesbaden 1-2 Paderborn
Paderborn responded resiliently following their defeat to Holstein Kiel by securing a come-from-behind victory against Wehen Wiesbaden. Despite the hosts initially taking the lead against the flow of the game through Franko Kovačević, Paderborn quickly equalized through Koen Kostons just nine minutes later. Despite numerous missed opportunities, including Kostons hitting the crossbar and Filip Bilbija striking the post, Paderborn eventually found the winning goal. Bilbija, who had assisted in the equalizer, emerged as the match-winner, enabling Paderborn to remain competitive in the promotion race while leaving Wiesbaden without a win in four matches, with concerns looming over their position in the relegation zone.
Kaiserslautern 0-4 Karlsruher
Karlsruher exerted significant pressure on struggling Kaiserslautern, securing a commanding 4-0 victory in their away fixture, which further exacerbated the hosts’ precarious position within the bottom three of the league standings. The entirety of the scoring action unfolded in the second half, during which Karlsruher, previously unable to score at the Fritz-Walter Stadion for 11 years, capitalized on defensive disorganization with clinical finishing.
Marvin Wanitzek initiated the scoring spree five minutes into the second half, seizing the opportunity to put Karlsruher in the lead. Despite the Red Devils’ concerted efforts to mount an immediate response, their hopes were dashed when Igor Matanovic capitalized on a close-range opportunity to extend Karlsruher’s advantage. Subsequently, Paul Nebel broke through the defense to add a third goal, further intensifying Kaiserslautern’s plight. The rout was completed in stoppage time when Budu Zivzivadze sealed the victory for Karlsruher with a header.
Greuther Fürth 2-1 Nuremberg
Greuther staged a remarkable comeback to secure a victory against 10-man Nuremberg, with Armindo Sieb’s brace proving decisive in Sunday’s encounter. Nuremberg took the lead within eight minutes through Sebastian Andersson, who scored his first goal for the club since joining in January. However, Sieb equalized for Greuther before halftime with a stunning curling effort from the left edge of the Nuremberg box. Nuremberg suffered another setback just before halftime as Jens Castrop received a red card for two bookable offenses. Within 10 minutes of the second half, Sieb struck again to capitalize on Greuther’s numerical advantage and secure the win.
Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-0 Hansa Rostock
Fortuna Düsseldorf secured a commanding victory over Hansa Rostock during Matchday 23, a triumph that maintains Düsseldorf’s proximity to the top three positions in the league table. However, despite the defeat, Rostock continues to languish near the bottom of the standings. The home team seized the initiative with an impressive opening goal, as Felix Klaus demonstrated finesse with a superbly executed poked volley. Within a span of two minutes, Düsseldorf further asserted their dominance when Ao Tanaka skillfully placed the ball into the net from outside the box, effectively securing the victory in less than 20 minutes of play.