VfB Stuttgart secured a crucial victory in their bid to avoid relegation on matchday 26 in the Bundesliga. The team are now only two points adrift of 15th place following their 3-1 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt. SC Freiburg also recorded a much needed victory, prevailing 2-0 at home over FC Augsburg. The game between SC Paderborn 07 and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim ended goalless.
Borussia Dortmund meanwhile bounced back from their Champions League exit with a 3-2 victory over Hannover 96, setting their sights on the Europa League qualifying places. 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen shared the points following a 1-1 draw in Cologne.
Ginczek brace secures Stuttgart win
Eintracht Frankfurt took the lead in Stuttgart through Haris Seferovic in the 51st minute, setting Stuttgart on course for their 14th league defeat this campaign. However, VfB battled back and Daniel Ginczek turned the game completely on its head in two minutes. He scored the equaliser (64') and then put the hosts ahead shortly afterwards (66'). Alexandru Maxim rounded off the scoring with ten minutes left to play. Despite this win Stuttgart remain at the bottom of the table.
Jonathan Schmid ended SC Freiburg’s 405 minute goal drought, grabbing the opener against Augsburg in the 71st minute before Nils Petersen doubled SCF's lead with six minutes left to play. Thanks to this win Freiburg no longer occupy a relegation spot.
Paderborn drop into relegation zone
SC Paderborn ended a run of four consecutive defeats with a 0-0 draw against Hoffenheim, but still dropped to 17th place. Hoffenheim were down to ten men following Ermin Bicakcic's sending off in the 65th minute, but SCP were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage in the second half.
Dortmund prevailed from a rollercoaster match in Hannover. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the opener for BVB in the 19th minute, but Lars Stindl equalised before half time (31'). After the equaliser, Hannover dominated the game but failed to convert one of their many chances. H96's Leonardo Bittencourt was sent off ten minutes after the restart and this completely changed the game. BVB quickly fired themselves back into the lead courtesy of a Shinji Kagawa goal (57') and Aubameyang’s second of the afternoon (61'). Stindl also bagged his second goal of the day in the 82nd minute to bring the hosts back into the game but it was too little too late. Dortmund move within five points of the Europa League spots, while Hannover only have a two-point cushion over 16th place.
Bremen's Davie Selke scored the opener in Cologne in the 27th minute, but Matthias Lehmann bagged a late equaliser (88' pen) to secure a point for the Billy Goats.