Goals in either half from Christoffer Nyman and Abdelhamid Sabiri meant that both Eintracht Braunschweig and 1. FC Nürnberg earned an entertaining 1-1 draw.

Team news

Following their win over 1. FC Heidenheim, there were doubts over Lukas Mühl's fitness and he was indeed replaced by Ondrej Petrak in Alois Schwartz's only change.

As for Torsten Lieberknecht, suspensions and a bid to change the team's fortunes resulted in five alterations from defeat to FC St. Pauli. Maximilian Sauer, Ken Reichel, Nik Omladic, Patrick Schönfeld and Domi Kumbela all dropped out as Phil Ofosu-Ayeh, Niko Kijewski, Hendrick Zuck, Salim Khelifi and Mirko Boland came in.

Nyman has Eintracht in front

It was an open and full-blooded opening 20 minutes in Franconia, and an opening that provided little in the way of clear-cut chances but more than enough to keep fans on the edge of their seats. Braunschweig were the better side but the home back-line continued to thwart the Lions, with Even Hovland putting in a few last-ditch tackles.

However, the breakthrough came just as the pressure got too much. Nyman hit the bar moment before he opened the scoring, with Onel Hernandez at the heart of the move. His turn, run and cross left Nürnberg for dead as he drove into the area and cut across the six-yard box for his Swedish striker partner to slam home from close range.

That seemed to spark Schwartz's side into life, as they began to move forward with real pace and purpose. A superb ball from Kevin Möhwald picked out the oncoming Tim Matavz, only for the Slovenian to direct his header off target. Abdelhamid Sabiri forced a top stop from Jasmin Fejzic moments later, tipping his half volley over the bar.

The two teams went back and forth in the final stages but neither could add to their scoreline in what was a thoroughly entertaining half of football.

Sabiri levels things up

After the break, Nurnberg steadily built up pressure before they finally levelled. It was a deserved goal from their talented starlet as Sabiri weaved his way forward and after a stylish spin the youngster drove towards goal and a slight deflection off of Ofosu-Ayeh's leg to leave Fejzic stranded and the hosts celebrating.

The hosts were the side in the ascendency once play resumed and that continued after the goal. Möhwald continued to be central to everything good that the Franconians produced but even he couldn't find a way past the resolute Fejzic. The Bosnian continued to produce save after save to keep the score level.

It was end-to-end from there as both sides had chances to go ahead, although it would be Braunschweig who would finish strongest. Dennis Lippert made a vital intervention to clear Julius Biada's shot off the line before the latter shot narrowly over at the death.

The result levels the hosts in mid-table in ninth on 29 points, while Braunschweig move into second on 36 - a point ahead of their Lower Saxony rivals, Hannover 96.

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About the author
Jonathan Walsh
SoccerSight IFA commentator. VAVEL deputy editor-in-chief/VAVEL Bundesliga editor-in-chief and writer. Email: [email protected]