Substitute Jan Morávek was the star of the show, as his instant impact of the bench saw him score the vital goal to earn FC Augsburg a 1-0 win over Hamburger SV.
Both sides have chances to score
Hamburg were the better side in the first half and should have taken advantage of a great opportunity that fell the way of Ivo Ilicevic. A long ball over the top found the Croatian in behind the Augsburg defence, but Marwin Hitz made a vital save with his legs. Unfortunately, the finish didn't quite match the pass.
The visitors came back strongly after the half hour and very nearly got a goal of their own. Alexander Esswein, their star man this season, managed to work some space down the left before whipping a great ball into the centre, where Ji-Dong Won clipped the top of the bar.
These were the two stand-out chances of the half, though a stunning strike from Markus Feulner would come closer still. Esswein was at the centre of the move again, with the ball being cleared to the versatile midfielder 20 yards out. He hit a phenomenally clean effort that caught the inside of the post, but couldn't find a way inside René Adler's net.
Morávek steals the win late on
Augsburg were on top in the second half but passed up their only real opportunity, as Feulner failed to convert. However, that was quickly forgotten when Morávek tapped in from close range. Esswein was at the heart of the move once again, as his dribble and cross gave Raul Bobadilla a chance to shoot. He had his effort saved but the Czech midfielder was on hand to head home the rebound and secure a vital three points in the bid to avoid the drop. It is, however, a disappointing end to the year for HSV.