Arminia Bielefeld fought for a point against Holstein Kiel in an exciting game on Friday evening. A sending off, a penalty and the passionate Bielefelder Alm brought the game to an end in the second half. In the end it was 2:2 (0:2).
Bielefeld’s defender Leon Schneider made it 0-1 with an own goal (33rd minute), before Kiel’s defender Ivan Nekic increased it to 0-2 shortly before half-time (45th+2). Joel Grodowski brought Arminia back into the game with a penalty (70′). Substitute Noah Sarenren Bazee scored the deserved equalizer in the final phase with his first touch of the ball to make the final score 2-2 (87th). Kiel’s goal scorer Nekic, who also took the penalty, was rightly sent off with a yellow-red card in the 69th minute.
Holstein Kiel has now been unbeaten in six competitive games, but has lost a great opportunity to increase its lead over the relegation relegation place to seven points. Holstein coach Marcel Rapp, who called for restraint in the euphoric Kiel environment after the successful start of the second half of the season against promotion hopefuls Paderborn, should feel vindicated.
“In the end we can be happy that we took a point”said Kiel’s coach in the Sportschau interview. “The yellow-red card and the penalty turned everything upside down. We had to switch to defense and the boys then threw everything in. So I’m happy.”
His counterpart Mitch Kniat was particularly pleased with his team’s reaction after the first half. “I told the team: If we show a good, passionate performance, then the fans will reward it. And I saw that 100 percent in the second half.”
Disjointed initial phase
Arminia Bielefeld was in 16th place before the matchday, and the pressure this caused was noticeable on the team from the first minute. According to their coach, Arminia worked during the week primarily on creating more set pieces and scoring chances – but there was little of that to be seen in the first half. Arminia attacked the guests from Kiel aggressively and forced many ball losses, but were too hectic in their own possession to capitalize on it.
The Kiel team also had a hard time in the nervous initial phase. A long-range shot from Steven Skrzybski into the side netting (6th minute) was their only concrete chance to score in the first half hour.
Own goal ensures the first goal
It took an individual mistake to break the spell. In the 33rd minute, Kiel striker Phil Harres delivered a powerful, flat pass from a half-right position into the six-yard box, where Leon Schneider slotted the ball into his own goal to make it 0-1. Schneider had to get to the ball because Niklas Niehoff was ready to take a shot at the second post, but his defensive action still looked very unfortunate.
Arminia Bielefeld’s Leon Schneider (2nd from right) scores into his own goal to make it 0-1 for Kiel
Fifteen minutes later, Niehoff still scored his third point this season. With his precise corner kick he found Nekic, who was completely alone, who calmly headed in to make it 2-0 (45th + 2).
Bielefeld comes out of the break better
Anyone on the Kiel side who had hoped that Bielefeld could collapse after the second goal was disappointed. Arminia came out of the locker room bravely and fought back their own self-confidence one tackle at a time. The game remained unstructured and the periods of possession were short, but the action no longer took place mainly between the sixteen men.
In the 50th minute, Kiel were only millimeters short of making it 3-0 when Harres’ deflected shot from the second row flew just past the left post. On the other hand, Kiel’s goalkeeper Jonas Kumrey almost scored the second own goal of the evening with some uncertainty when he didn’t just catch a flat cross, but rather drilled it just past his goal (52nd).
The game got even wilder in the second half.
Penalty ends the game
Bielefeld also had to rely on an individual mistake from their opponent to reward themselves for their great effort. Kiel’s goal scorer Nekic cleared Marius Wörl from behind in the penalty area, who was running away at a lot of speed, and not only received a yellow-red, but also quite rightly received a penalty. Joel Grodowski safely converted to make it 1-2 and brought his Arminia back into the game (70th).
The remaining 25 minutes became a one-goal game. Encouraged by the audience at the Bielefelder Alm who woke up again after the goal, Arminia played cross after cross into the Kiel penalty area. The storks withdrew completely during this phase and limited their own offensive play to counterattacks.
Joker Sarenren Bazee stabs
Shortly before the end, Noah Sarenren Bazee, who had been substituted just a minute earlier, provided the deserved equalizer (87th). After a header assist from substitute Roberts Uldrikis, Bazee remained ice cold from six meters and nodded the ball into the left corner without much speed, but against the direction of Kumrey’s run.
Bielefeld in Dresden, Kiel against Fürth
Bielefeld will face an important relegation duel against table neighbors Dynamo Dresden next weekend on Sunday lunchtime (1:30 p.m.). Kiel welcomes Greuther Fürth on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.).
