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Fürther professionals against Leverkusen: relegation sealed
Photo: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
The championship fight can be decided in the evening when FC Bayern plays Borussia Dortmund (6.30 p.m., live ticker SPIEGEL.de).
But the first decision in the Bundesliga was made before that: Greuther Fürth will play in league two again next season.
The bottom of the table can no longer leave the relegation zone after the home defeat against Leverkusen.
Fürth has lost its final.
After the 0-0 draw in Hoffenheim last week, there was still a mathematical chance of staying up, but the clover leaves made too many mistakes against Leverkusen.
After a good start by the hosts, Jetro Willems (5th) even managed to take the lead early on after a goalkeeper rebound – it was the Fürth team's first goal in four games.
But just four minutes later, Patrik Schick equalized (8').
After Kerem Demirbay's corner, the flag first went up due to an alleged offside position by Schick, but the video referee then gave the goal because the ball from Branimir Hrgota from Fürth had bounced off Schick.
Fürth goalkeeper Andreas Linde looked even worse than Hrgota in the 18th minute when he put the ball in the foot of the approaching Sardar Azmoun and helped the Iranian score his first Bundesliga goal.
After a one-two from Paulinho and Azmoun, the Brazilian later scored to make it 3-1.
Fürth's courage was gone, Schick missed two big chances (68', 79') before Exequiel Palacios sealed Fürth's relegation after just one season in the Bundesliga with a 20-metre shot to make it 4-1.
The first leg was a candidate for the most memorable game of this Bundesliga season.
Back then, Borussia was 6-0 down after 37 minutes.
Things seemed to be going the other way around in Freiburg, this time Mönchengladbach leading 2-0 after 13 minutes.
First Ramy Bensebaini converted a hand penalty (3rd), then Breel Embolo increased (13th).
However: The SC fought back into the game.
Vincenzo Grifo brought the hosts closer with a converted penalty (49'), Christian Günter equalized (61'), and after a corner it was even 3:2, goalscorer: Philipp Lienhart (80').
However: Gladbach came again.
Lars Stindl made the draw in minute 90.+3.
Only three days ago, both teams met in the cup, when RB prevailed and made it into the final.
In the league, Union was the winner – and success came late.
Yussuf Poulsen had provided the lead with his goal (47th).
After that it was mainly the Berliners who had chances.
A penalty after a foul by Nordi Mukieles was denied to the guests, then Sven Michel scored to make it 1-1 (86') before Kevin Behrens backheeled it to make it 2-1 (89').
Leipzig is now only fourth and has a two-point lead over Freiburg in fifth place.
Union can continue to fight for the European Cup ranks.
Anyone who is currently thinking of Eintracht will think of the European Cup success at FC Barcelona.
But that win glosses over the fact that things aren't going well for Frankfurt - the draw against Hoffenheim means the team have only won one game in their last eight competitive games, and that at Camp Nou.
The focus against TSG was Eintracht's Evan N'Dicka.
First the defender scored an own goal to make it 0:1 (12th).
Then he scored on the right side when he headed in unchallenged from a corner (32').
After the break, he was the one who scored Daichi Kamada's goal (66').
And finally he lost the header duel against Georginio Rutter before he scored to make it 2-2.
Cologne, seventh in the table with Europa League ambitions, was more alert at the beginning. After a free kick by Florian Kainz, Jonas Hector got the ball and passed a sharp shot from the right into the penalty area, where Mark Uth shot the ball into the far post after turning (3rd).
Bielefeld seemed taken by surprise, but then recovered and equalized after a sharp cross from Patrick Wimmer with an own goal by Timo Hübers (33rd).
Anthony Modeste gave Cologne the lead again after a half-field cross from Uth shortly before the break.
His shot bounced off Arminia defender Amos Pieper's leg.
In the second half, the pace remained manageable, Bielefeld rarely came dangerously in front of the Cologne goal.
Guilherme Ramos headed Wimmer's free kick with the back of his head too harmless on goal (70th).
Arminia played rare counterattack opportunities too inconsistently, such as the hasty finish by substitute Burak Ince (78th).
Cologne did better when Modeste crossed to Jan Thielmann during a counterattack and who pushed in against Ortega's run to make it 3-1.
Cologne set a club record with the win and have reached 49 points for only the second time since the three-point rule was introduced.
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