05/10/26 12:36:00
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05/10 12:35 CDT Europa League finalist Freiburg loses at Hamburg in Bundesliga
Europa League finalist Freiburg loses at Hamburg in Bundesliga
By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer
Two goals from Igor Matanovic were not enough to stop Europa League finalist
Freiburg losing 3-2 at Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Bakery Jatta opened the scoring for Hamburg when he was left unmarked but
Matanovic soon leveled for Freiburg. Goals from Luka Vuskovic and Fabio Bald
put Hamburg back in control in the second half and Matanovic'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 final of the Europa League
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 Schppner 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 Marie-Louise Eta 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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