2. Bundesliga: Cologne rises, Elversberg secures the relegation

The 1st FC Köln is back in the Bundesliga and snatched the two-division championship on Hamburger SV on match day 34. The team of coach Friedhelm Funkel confidently defeated 1. FC Kaiserslautern 4-0 (2-0) and returned to the upper house after only one year. The HSV has been as a promoted man since last weekend.

SV Elversberg, who won 2-1 (1-0) at FC Schalke 04, could follow the Hamburgers and Cologne to the Bundesliga, and thus consolidated third place. On Thursday (8:30 p.m./Sat.1 and Sky) the relegation first leg against 1. FC Heidenheim, which took 16 ranked in the Bundesliga. In front of a home crowd in Spiesen-Elversberg, the Horst Steffen team can make a sports sensation perfect in the second leg on May 26th.

Eintracht Braunschweig also has to go to the relegation. The former German champion received a sensitive 1: 4 (0: 4) slump against 1. FC Nürnberg in his own stadium and has to fear the crash into the 3rd league. Coach Daniel Schering changed three times before half -time, the first spectators left the stadium before the break whistle. In the relegation, the third division team 1. FC Saarbrücken is now waiting on May 23 and 27.

Because Cologne and Elversberg confidently mastered their final tasks, the following Trio SC Paderborn, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Kaiserslautern remained without chance for a top three place. Paderborn also failed and lost 0: 3 (0: 1) at Karlsruher SC. Düsseldorf played 2: 4 (1-0) at 1. FC Magdeburg, the Palatinate remained without chance at the climber from Cologne.

Because Funkel’s team made it serious early in the exuberant atmosphere. Eric Martel (14th minute) and Luca Waldschmidt (29th) made the preliminary decision within the first half hour and fueled the euphoria in Cologne-Müngersdorf. Florian Kainz (76.) and Mark Uth (87th) also met. Because the HSV lost 2: 3 (0: 1) at Greuther Fürth, the effzeh even passed the former Bundesliga dino.

There was also little excitement in the fight for third place. The once so small SV Elversberg (ten years ago in the regional league Südwest) dominated in the huge World Cup arena of the once so big FC Schalke 04 (ten years ago in the Champions League against Real Madrid). Lukas Petkov (20th) and Maurice Neubauer (47th) paved the way to third place for the Saarlanders. Schalke’s goal from Yassin Ben Balla (85th) was late.

Braunschweig starts with completely different signs in the decision -making games, which was shown in the first half by the nine -time German champion from Nuremberg. Mahir Emreli scored three goals before the break and became a match winner for the guests from Franconia. Julian Justvan also met. The Lower Saxony must now recover in the four game -free days until the relegation first chamber.

Because Braunschweig lost, the results of Prussia Münster (2: 2 at SSV Ulm) and from Fürth (3: 2 against HSV) became a minor matter. The game between SV Darmstadt 98 and the already departed Jahn Regensburg (3-1) was no longer important for the outcome of the season. Hertha BSC played 1-1 against Hannover 96.