Christoffer Nyman's solitary strike in the second half was enough to give Eintracht Braunschweig a 1-0 win over 1860 Munich in a thoroughly entertaining game.
Team news
Vitor Pereira made two changes follows what was a very disappointing 1-0 defeat to 1. FC Kaiserslautern last weekend. Abdoulaye Ba and Felix Uduokhai were suspended and injured respectively, which allowed Sebastian Boenisch and Kai Bülow to return to the starting line-up.
As for Torsten Lieberknecht and Braunschweig, they were coming off a 2-0 win over VfL Bochum. Despite the victory, he still opted for alterations as Niko Kijewski, Nik Omladic and Jan Hochscheidt were given a start. Quirin Moll, Domi Kumbela and Hendrick Zuck all dropped out.
Scoreless at the break
The theme of the game was clear from the start, and it was a physical affair throughout, as Stefan Aigner picked up a first-minute booking. There was very little in the way of early chances and, instead, Pereira was constantly bemoaning a lack of luck or decisions going their way.
Onel Hernandez had the visitors' only real effort at goal in the first half, though 1860 managed to prevent the impressive attacker from making the most of the chance.
After a period where very little happened, the game sparked to life in the final embers of the first half. Bülow rose highest to meet Michael Liendl's corner, only to see his header come back off the post. Moments later and the ball was back in the Braunschweig box, with Aigner heading straight at Jasmin Fejzic from just a few yards out.
Nyman strikes
After the break, it was more of the same from the home side. Aigner fired wide from just six yards out after a wonderful run from Lumor, but with an open goal at his mercy the chance really should have been converted. To make matters worse, or more painful, Aigner then ended up catching Saulo Decarli's boot in the face.
Then, as has been the way with 1860 recently, they were punished for not taking their chances. Omladic's run down the right looked to be fruitless but a sublime turn inside saw him feed the ball into Nyman. He made space for himself before turning and firing a superb strike into the top corner. Stefan Ortega was helpless, the visitors were delighted.
1860 kept the pressure on despite falling behind and saw another Bülow header go close, this time cleared off the line. Liendl's free-kick was then held by Fejzic, and a late Ivica Olic header was tipped over in style from the in-form Bosnian. Sandwiched between these efforts were Hochscheidt's stinging shots that cracked post and bar.
Slightly fortunate, Braunschweig remained within three points of VfB Stuttgart as 1860 fell deeper into the mire.