German Bundesliga

ÖFB player scores twice! RB Leipzig turns the game around

ÖFB player Alexander Prass put TSG on the road to victory.(Bild: EPA/ANNA SZILAGYI)

Even without their coach Christian Ilzer, who is ill, TSG Hoffenheim remains on course for the Champions League in the German Bundesliga. Against bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim on Saturday, ÖFB team player Alexander Prass scored his second and third goals of the season in a 4-2 victory, consolidating his team's third place. Second-placed Dortmund remain six points ahead of TSG after a 2-1 win in Cologne, while Leipzig celebrated a last-minute 2-1 win over Augsburg.

Prass made it 1-0 with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area that hit the underside of the crossbar (26th minute), and shortly before half-time he beat Heidenheim goalkeeper Diant Ramaj (45+1). After the break, former Austrian players Fisnik Asllani (49th minute) and Tim Lemperle (78th minute) also scored, while Heidenheim's double from Luca Kerber (63rd and 84th minutes) was only cosmetic.

Leipzig only relieved at the finish
Leipzig, with Nicolas Seiwald and Christoph Baumgartner but without the injured Xaver Schlager, had a scare against Augsburg after a mishap by Baumgartner. The ÖFB team player caused a handball penalty, but Augsburg captain Keven Schlotterbeck failed to beat goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt (23').

  Robin Fellhauer (39') put the visitors ahead before the break, and the home side responded with an onslaught in the second half. Yan Diomande (78') rewarded them with the equalizer, and in the final minutes, the Bulls were saved by an own goal from Arthur Chaves (92'). Michael Gregoritsch had just come on as a substitute for Augsburg (85').

(Bild: AFP/KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV)

Mainz snatched a late point
Leipzig are now two points behind Hoffenheim, as are VfB Stuttgart. Ermedin Demirovic (76') and Deniz Undav (77') turned the game around at Mainz 05 after falling behind 0-1, but Danny da Costa secured a deserved point for the hosts in stoppage time. This meant that Stefan Posch and Phillipp Mwene, who played the full 90 minutes, also had something to celebrate. Mainz are now two points above the relegation play-off spot in 16th place.

  Leverkusen dropped important points in a 3-3 draw at SC Freiburg and are now three points behind Leipzig and Stuttgart in sixth place. Vincenzo Grifo (34') and Yuito Suzuki (43') gave SC Freiburg, who had Philipp Lienhart back on the bench after his abdominal injury, the lead twice. Bayer equalized through Christian Kofane (37th minute) and Alejandro Grimaldo (45+3), before Martin Terrier (52nd minute) turned the game around completely. Freiburg struck back through Matthias Ginter (86th minute) and almost scored a fourth goal in the closing stages.

Turmoil after Wolfsburg defeat
Meanwhile, VfL Wolfsburg are stumbling towards the second division. Without the injured Patrick Wimmer, they got off to an ideal start in their home relegation battle with HSV when Christian Eriksen converted a penalty (22'), but quickly conceded the equalizer when Luka Vuskovic also scored from the spot (33'). Jean-Luc Dompe (58th minute) sealed VfL's sixth defeat in their last seven games. HSV are now nine points ahead of Wolfsburg, who are 17th in the table. After the final whistle, there was turmoil between the players on the pitch, and pyrotechnics were set off in the Wolfsburg fan block.