2. Bundesliga: Bottom-placed Magdeburg stun high-flying Nürnberg

Magdeburg will stay in the bottom place of 2. Bundesliga standings, but they boosted their chances of getting out of it with a stunning 3-0 win over Nürnberg.

Magdeburg struggled for goals all season, but they let it fly in the last 20 minutes against Nürnberg in the Topspiel of matchday 14. Boosted by their vibrant fans at Avnet Arena, Mateusz Żukowski became the first Magdeburg player to score in nearly 450 minutes of 2. Bundesliga football.

The Polish striker got at the end of Barış Atik’s inviting set-piece, but he had to wait for a little longer before celebrating it wildly because there was a concern for an offside. Seconds after the goal passed the VAR validation and the game resumed, Rafael Lubach was sent off for a second yellow card.

With ten players, Nürnberg hardly threatened to equalize in the last 15 minutes, but they were still in the game until the fifth minute of the injury-time. Żukowski had to wait until matchday 14 for his first-ever 2. Bundesliga goal, but he got his second of the night with a tap-in from Alexander Nollenberger’s excellent delivery.

Since the second-half was interrupted early because of pyrotechnics and smoke from both sets of fans, 17 minutes had to be added at the end of the game. Nollenberger managed to register another assist from the left flank as Maximilian Breunig at the end of his precise cross this time around.

Breunig thought he joined Żukowski with a brace, but his 108th-minute goal was cancelled by VAR for an offside call. Nonetheless, Magdeburg enjoyed a remarkable victory in what has been a difficult campaign so far without Christian Titz. They will now face RB Leipzig in the quarter-final of the DFB-Pokal. Miroslav Klose’s side lost for the first time since the end of September.