Former European champions Hamburg SV edged past hosts VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 in their relegation derby on Saturday to continue their desperate comeback to stay in the Bundesliga with two matches remaining.
A 43rd minute penalty kick by Bobby Wood put the visitors in front and Lewis Holtby doubled their lead with a glancing header on the stroke of halftime.
Josip Brekalo slipped his 78th minute free kick past Hamburg goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck to give Wolfsburg some hope.
But Hamburg, the only team to have played in the Bundesliga every season since the top division’s creation in 1963, scored in stoppage time with Luca Waldschmiz.
It helped to seal their third win in the last four matches.
The northern club are still 17th but have clawed their way back to within two points of the relegation playoff spot and 16th-placed Mainz 05.
Mainz 05 have 30 points and are in action against RB Leipzig on Sunday.
“We are still a long way from being dead,” said scorer Holtby. “I have been saying it for some time. We do 100 per cent what our coach demands and then we reap the rewards.
“The fans are behind us and now we have the semi-final,” he said in reference to next week’s penultimate league game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Wolfsburg are also on 30 points, in 15th on goal difference.
Schalke 04 failed to seal their UEFA Champions League spot for next season after drawing 1-1 against Borussia Monchengladbach.
They also had Nabil Bentaleb sent off for striking Gladbach’s Lars Stindl, who had to be taken off injured after twisting his foot a little later.
Schalke are second on 57 points, with Borussia Dortmund, who travel to Werder Bremen on Sunday, in third on 54.
Bayer Leverkusen’s own UEFA Champions League hopes were dented with a 1-0 loss at VfB Stuttgart as they dropped to fifth on 51.
It allowed Hoffenheim to leapfrog them into fourth on 52 after their 3-1 victory over Hanover 96 on Friday.
The top four clubs qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.
A second-string Bayern Munich that included four reserve players in the starting line-up, eased past Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1.
Coach Jupp Heynckes rested his players ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg at Real Madrid.
Bundesliga debutant Niklas Dorsch scored the opener and Sandro Wagner, Rahinha and Niklas Suele were also on target as next season’s Bayern coach Niko Kovac watched quietly from the Eintracht bench.
Bottom club Cologne were relegated in spite of coming back from two goals down to lose 3-2 at Freiburg.
Reuters/NAN.
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