2. Bundesliga Friday Konferenz round-up

The 2. Bundesliga returned after the international break with two intriguing fixtures, both ending in home wins for Arminia Bielefeld and SC Paderborn.

Arminia Bielefeld 2-0 FC Magdeburg 

Magdeburg arrived at the Schüco Arena as clear underdogs after their sluggish start to the season, while Arminia had impressed with some good performances early on. Yet the first half unfolded exactly as Markus Fiedler and his side would have wanted.

They kept the game scrappy, limiting Arminia’s rhythm, pressing selectively and with success. When they won the ball back, they threatened on the break. Dariusz Stalmach had the best chance of the half after Ado Onaiwu’s pressing won the ball back and found the midfielder in space on the edge of the box, though his strike was saved by Jonas Kersken. Goalless at the break, Fiedler could still rightly take pride in his team’s disciplined performance.

But just as Magdeburg seemed to have gained a foothold and hinted at a shock result, their plan unraveled in the space of seven second-half minutes. A well-rehearsed free-kick routine saw the ball slipped into the box for Joel Grodowski, whose cross from the byline found Mael Corboz to head home the opener. 1-0.

And as the saying goes: when it rains, it pours. Ten minutes later, Grodowski again made the difference as he turned from provider to goalscorer. An unopposed driving run into the box and delicate outside of the foot finish past Dominik Reimann made it 2-0 to the home side. 

From there, Magdeburg huffed and puffed but never truly troubled. Arminia managed the game well to secure a 2-0 win, with Kniat’s side moving into the top three for now. Fiedler and FCM, meanwhile, drop into 16th place and are left with plenty to ponder.

SC Paderborn 1-0 VfL Bochum 

Though just two points separated the sides pre-match, the first half painted a very different picture. Paderborn launched wave after wave of attacks on Timo Horn’s goal, rattling the bar through Nick Bätzner early before Filip Bilbija spurned a golden chance on 16 minutes – only able to scuff a rebound that was cleared off the line after Timo Horn spilled a cross.

The pattern continued: Paderborn dominance, Bochum resistance. At half-time, the stats told the story – 73% possession, 22 touches in the opposition box to Bochum’s five – but still no breakthrough.

The second half began with less intensity from Paderborn, though they remained on top. Bochum finally saw more of the ball, but the best chances again fell to the hosts. Sven Michel shot straight at Horn when free in the box, before Sebastian Klaas’ header rattled the crossbar.

A remarkable 0-0 draw seemed inevitable until the 90th minute, as Paderborn finally got their reward. Michel found himself with possession inside the box, his shot parried away by Horn into the path of Lucas Copado who calmly slotted home from close range to spark pandemonium at the Home Deluxe Arena.

A deserved 1-0 win sees Paderborn climb to sixth, while Bochum created little and would have been fortunate to escape with a point. Dieter Hecking’s side remain in search of the attacking spark their coach has been calling for as they languish in 15th place.