Werder Bremen were held 1-1 by Champions League heroes Schalke 04 on Saturday as they failed to take a decisive step away from the Bundesliga danger zone.Bremen led from Sandro Wagner in the 59th but Edu levelled for the visitors, who ousted holders Inter Milan in Europe on Wednesday, four minutes later.
While Schalke are safe with 40 points in 10th place, Bremen are 11th with 35 points, six points above the drop zone with four rounds left in the season.
Cologne (35), Kaiserslautern (34), VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt (33 each) are other clubs fighting for survival above the relegation zone occupied by VfL Wolfsburg, St Pauli (29 each) and bottom club Borussia Moenchengladbach (26).
Wolfsburg remained winless in the fourth game since Felix Magath returned as coach after being sacked at Schalke, drawing 2-2 with St Pauli from a last-minute equalizer.
The top clubs are in action on Sunday. Leaders Borussia Dortmund host SC Freiburg and fourth-placed Bayern Munich meet number two Bayer Leverkusen.
Schalke have been on fire with four wins in as many games since Magath had to give way for Ralf Rangnick, but found themselves trailing in Bremen just before the hour.
Benedikt Howedes brought down Claudio Pizarro in the area, Manuel Neuner saved the weak penalty from Sandro Wagner, but Wagner tapped home on the rebound.
Schalke were undeterred, however, and were level four minutes later from Edu's unmarked header.
The same player aimed against the left post and Julian Draxler missed from point-blank range as Schalke came closer to the winner than Bremen, who are unbeaten in seven games but have drawn five of them.
"Schalke are a great team with a lot of euphoria. We had our chances but we have to live with the draw. We are in the lowlands and don't have the confidence. Off course we want to win games," said Bremen captain Torsten Frings.
In Wolfsburg, the hosts grabbed the lead against the flow of play in the 39th from Mario Mandzukic, who fired a low shot home from the edge of the area.
St Pauli reversed matters from Deniz Naki and Matthias Lehmann, but Magath's team at least got one point when Jan Polak nodded home off a corner kick in the 89th.
"I am happy that we salvaged a point, but we should have preserved the 1-0 lead. There are four games left, we have not given up hope of moving up," said Magath.
The draw in Wolfsburg was good news for the 2007 champions Stuttgart, who won 3-1 at Cologne.
Christian Traesch fired high into the net from 22 metres in the 51st and Martin Harnik doubled the lead two minutes later from short range at the far right post. Zdravko Kuzmanovic cooly converted a 63rd-minute spot kick after Geromel was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball.
Milivoje Novakovic got the consolation goal in the 69th for Cologne, who had won their previous seven home games.
Frankfurt crashed 1-0 in Hoffenheim and Kaiserslautern fell 2-0 at home to sixth-placed Nuremberg. Third-placed Hanover played to a 0-0 draw at SV Hamburg to move two points ahead of Munich in the fight for a Champions League qualifying berth.
Mainz defeated Moenchengladbach 1-0 on Friday.
While Schalke are safe with 40 points in 10th place, Bremen are 11th with 35 points, six points above the drop zone with four rounds left in the season.
Cologne (35), Kaiserslautern (34), VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt (33 each) are other clubs fighting for survival above the relegation zone occupied by VfL Wolfsburg, St Pauli (29 each) and bottom club Borussia Moenchengladbach (26).
Wolfsburg remained winless in the fourth game since Felix Magath returned as coach after being sacked at Schalke, drawing 2-2 with St Pauli from a last-minute equalizer.
The top clubs are in action on Sunday. Leaders Borussia Dortmund host SC Freiburg and fourth-placed Bayern Munich meet number two Bayer Leverkusen.
Schalke have been on fire with four wins in as many games since Magath had to give way for Ralf Rangnick, but found themselves trailing in Bremen just before the hour.
Benedikt Howedes brought down Claudio Pizarro in the area, Manuel Neuner saved the weak penalty from Sandro Wagner, but Wagner tapped home on the rebound.
Schalke were undeterred, however, and were level four minutes later from Edu's unmarked header.
The same player aimed against the left post and Julian Draxler missed from point-blank range as Schalke came closer to the winner than Bremen, who are unbeaten in seven games but have drawn five of them.
"Schalke are a great team with a lot of euphoria. We had our chances but we have to live with the draw. We are in the lowlands and don't have the confidence. Off course we want to win games," said Bremen captain Torsten Frings.
In Wolfsburg, the hosts grabbed the lead against the flow of play in the 39th from Mario Mandzukic, who fired a low shot home from the edge of the area.
St Pauli reversed matters from Deniz Naki and Matthias Lehmann, but Magath's team at least got one point when Jan Polak nodded home off a corner kick in the 89th.
"I am happy that we salvaged a point, but we should have preserved the 1-0 lead. There are four games left, we have not given up hope of moving up," said Magath.
The draw in Wolfsburg was good news for the 2007 champions Stuttgart, who won 3-1 at Cologne.
Christian Traesch fired high into the net from 22 metres in the 51st and Martin Harnik doubled the lead two minutes later from short range at the far right post. Zdravko Kuzmanovic cooly converted a 63rd-minute spot kick after Geromel was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball.
Milivoje Novakovic got the consolation goal in the 69th for Cologne, who had won their previous seven home games.
Frankfurt crashed 1-0 in Hoffenheim and Kaiserslautern fell 2-0 at home to sixth-placed Nuremberg. Third-placed Hanover played to a 0-0 draw at SV Hamburg to move two points ahead of Munich in the fight for a Champions League qualifying berth.
Mainz defeated Moenchengladbach 1-0 on Friday.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire