Two goals from Igor Matanovic were not enough to stop Europa League finalist Freiburg losing 3-2 at Hamburger SV in the on Sunday.
Bakery Jatta opened the scoring for Hamburg when he was left unmarked but Matanovic soon leveled for Freiburg. Goals from Luka Vu拧kovi膰 and Fabio Bald茅 put Hamburg back in control in the second half and Matanovi膰’s 87th-minute header proved only a consolation goal for Freiburg.
The loss is a blow to seventh-place Freiburg’s hopes of qualifying for the Conference League via the Bundesliga. Freiburg could yet end up in the Champions League with a win over Aston Villa in the on May 20. Hamburg moves up a place to 11th.
Relegation showdown looms
The Bundesliga is set for a final-day relegation battle next week with three teams on the same number of points seeking one shot at survival.
Heidenheim beat Cologne 3-1 on Sunday to move up to 17th, level on points with Wolfsburg in 16th and St. Pauli in 18th. Midfielder Jan Sch枚ppner scored twice to end a six-month goal drought in the Bundesliga.
The teams in 17th and 18th are relegated automatically and the team in 16th faces a two-leg promotion-relegation playoff against a team from the second division. Wolfsburg and St. Pauli play each other next week, and Heidenheim hosts Mainz.
Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt has been in charge for 19 years, overseeing promotion from the regional fourth tier and even a European campaign in the Conference League last season. He has yet to experience relegation.
Also Sunday, pioneering coach and her Union Berlin team take on Mainz. Union remains winless as Eta heads into her fourth game in charge as the first female head coach in Europe’s top five major men’s leagues. Union, which is safe from relegation, is aiming to build on a draw last week against Cologne.
Eta’s five-game interim head coach stint is due to end next week when Union hosts Augsburg in its last game of the season. She has already agreed to take charge of the Union women’s team for next season.
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