Substitutes Sebastian Stolze and Jonas Nietfeld struck as SSV Jahn Regensburg came from 2-0 down to beat FC Ingolstadt 04 in the 2. Bundesliga.

Ingolstadt were looking comfortable after an early goal from Alfredo Morales and Dario Lezcano’s penalty in the first half.

However an own goal from Hauke Wahl after a Stolze cross with 20 minutes left changed the game, before Stolze scored himself and Nietfeld grab the late winner.

Ingolstadt quickly take control

Both sides were quickly back in action following the midweek resumption of the league following its winter break. For Regensburg it was a second Bavarian derby in three days, after their 2-2 draw with 1. FC Nürnberg, with their only change seeing Sargis Adamyan in for Joshua Mees. Ingolstadt had a goalless draw with SV Sandhausen on Tuesday, making three changes here – Marcel Gaus, Tobias Schröck and Robert Leipertz all came into the team.

Die Schanzer came into the game in fourth place, albeit five points off the top three, but they made early headway in looking to close that gap. They were awarded an early free-kick, and with barley more than 120 seconds gone, they took the lead from it. Thomas Pledl placed the ball in the box, and Morales, with his back to goal, headed it in.

Ingolstadt weren’t afraid to get stuck in, with Pledl and Schröck making heavy challenges, with the complaints of Ingolstadt boss Stefan Leitl over the first earning himself a talking to from referee Timo Gerach. Pledl himself had their next chance to score, meanwhile, after being allowed to run through the middle, but his shot was saved by Alexander Pentke.

The hosts would go on to have a decent spell themselves soon after that. Adamyan registered their first meaningful chance when his volley was saved by Örjan Nyland, but an even better one followed for him soon after, as he headed wide a cross from Philipp Nandzik. Marvin Knoll had the chance to worry Ingolstadt again just after, but his free-kick was straight at Nyland.

By half-time Ingolstadt had doubled their lead, but the penalty from which they did so was far from clear cut. A good move saw Lezcano seek out Leipertz, however as Pentke came to claim the ball, he caught his leg and Leipertz went down, maybe a little willingly. Gerach pointed to the spot, with Lezcano stepping up and firing to his left, with Pentke left static as he failed to react quickly enough.

Substitutes lead Regensburg to all three points

Seconds after the restart, Regensburg had the chance to reply from a Knoll free-kick, however Marco Grüttner put it wide. Lezcano then had a shot go wide at the other end, and although Ingolstadt just about had the better of the play after that, they created nothing to concern Pentke, although Pledl did put the ball in the net after he had already been ruled offside.

Regensburg’s most dangerous outlet appeared to be crosses from the left being delivered by Nandzik. Nyland was able to take two with no problem at all, but another was kept in play, giving the opportunity for Marc Lais to see a shot deflect out wide. It was a cross from the other side, by Stolze, that saw them pull a goal back though, as Wahl managed to side-foot the low delivery into his own net.

That woke the game out of its slumber with the action being end-to-end. Sonny Kittel had several cracks at making a shot before eventually bringing a save out of Pentke, before forcing him to make another save a few moments later. At the other end, Benedikt Gimber’s attempt went out for a corner, and after Ingolstadt failed to clear that, Lais was able to cross in, Grüttner got a touch in the air, before Stolze at the far post buried the ball into the back of the net to bring his side level.

Stolze had been one of Achim Beierlorzer’s second half substitutes, and another in Nietfeld scored the dramatic winner with just over two minutes of normal time left on the clock. Knoll supplied him, with Nietfeld getting in behind Ingolstadt’s defence to leave himself one-on-one with Nyland. He did not waste the opportunity, leading to ecstatic celebrations on and off the pitch.

The result moves Regensburg up to fifth in the table, level on points with Ingolstadt, who despite being comfortably ahead with 20 minutes remaining had completely let slip to chance to keep up pace with the league’s top three.