16th Bundesliga matchday
Mainz squanders victory when Fischer returns – Freiburg defeats HSV
He once led Union Berlin from the 2nd league to the Champions League. When he returns, Urs Fischer can hope for three points with Mainz for a long time – without success.
When he returned to his old place of work, Urs Fischer missed a big point in the relegation battle with bottom team FSV Mainz 05 at the start of the year. The Swiss coach, who once led Union Berlin from the 2nd league to the Champions League, had to settle for a 2-2 (1-0) draw with his new club in Köpenick despite a 2-0 lead. The Mainz team is still waiting for their first success in the Bundesliga in almost four months.
1. FC Heidenheim only collected one point in the fight to stay in the league, losing a lead twice in a 2:2 (2:1) draw against promoted team 1. FC Köln. This means that the Rhinelanders remain in the vulnerable zone after their seventh game in a row without a win. This also applies to fellow promoted team Hamburger SV, who lost 1:2 (0:0) at SC Freiburg.
Mainz were already 2-0 ahead thanks to goals from Nadiem Amiri (30th) and ex-Berlin Benedict Hollerbach (69th), but Woo-Yeong Jeong (77th) and Marin Ljubicic (86th) secured a point for the hosts. Mainz is three points behind Heidenheim and FC St. Pauli.
Hamburg had an involuntary break on Saturday because the game against RB Leipzig was canceled due to the snow chaos in the north. The same applied to the game between Werder Bremen and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. On Friday, at the start of the 16th matchday, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund drew 3:3 (1:1).
Warm welcome for fishermen
Fischer, who had worked successfully at the Alte Försterei for five and a half years, was warmly welcomed on his return. He had already cheerfully reported on the obligatory walk to prepare for the game, during which he was greeted dozens of times by the joy of seeing people in Berlin-Köpenick.
In Heidenheim, Marvin Pieringer shot the hosts into the lead twice with a fantastic overhead kick (15th) and Julian Niehues (26th). But FC came back with goals from Eric Martel (18th) and substitute young star Said El Mala (48th). Before the game there was unrest among the Cologne team because Luca Waldschmidt and Florian Kainz had been left out of the squad.
Penalty turns things around
HSV took the lead in Freiburg with a goal from Luka Vuskovic (48th), but the joy didn’t last long. After a foul by Daniel Elfadli, who also received a yellow-red card (51′), the hosts received a penalty. Vincenzo Grifo was there as usual (53′). Igor Matanovic ensured Freiburg’s victory (83′).
DPA
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