Interim coach Michael Köllner made a winning start in charge of 1. FC Nürnberg, as they beat 2. Bundesliga bottom side Arminia Bielefeld.
It was just their fourth home win of the season and second win since the winter break and the departure of Guido Burgstaller.
They perhaps could have had more than the single goal scored by Ondrej Petrak ten minutes before half time, however Bielefeld offered little themselves, and Der Club were able see the game through.
First game for interim coach Köllner
Nürnberg sacked coach Alois Schwartz on Tuesday after their 1-0 defeat to local rivals SpVgg Greuther Fürth, which left them with just one win since Christmas. Köllner has stepped up from the under-21s until a permanent replacement is found.
He made six changes for this game, albeit four were enforced with Thorsten Kirschbaum and Rúrik Gislason injured, and Lukas Mühl and Hanno Behrens suspended.
Raphael Schäfer, Dennis Lippert, Petrak, Tobias Kempe, Eduard Löwen and Edgar Salli were the players to come in. Löwen was making his first team debut, whilst the captain of Köllner’s under-21s, Dominic Baumann, would do likewise from the bench later on.
Whilst Nürnberg are still in mid-table, Bielefeld are in much more immediate danger, coming into game last in the league. They let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2 with Erzgebirge Aue last weekend, with the Violas moving above them in the table with their win over fellow strugglers Karlsruher SC on Friday.
Jürgen Kramny made four changes to his team to, including in goal with Daniel Davari replacing Wolfgang Hesl. Florian Hartherz, Tom Schütz and Andreas Volgsammer also came in for Sebastian Schuppan, Keanu Staude and Christopher Nöthe.
Petrak goal underlines dominate first half
The first half was virtually all one-way traffic in favour of the hosts. Georg Margreitter, who seemed to win everything in the air, had two headers from corners, one saved by Davari and the other went off the post. Meanwhile Petrak had a great chance too, kept out by Davari.
Bielefeld were perhaps lucky not to be reduced to ten men just twenty minutes in. Brian Behrendt looked to be the last man when he brought down Kevin Möwald with a late tackle. Despite plenty of pressure from the home players and fans, referee Lasse Koslowski only showed Behrendt a yellow card.
Nürnberg remained the dominate force though, and eventually took the lead through Petrak. From a throw-in, Salli show some neat moves on the turn before playing the ball across, with Petrak running on to it and excellently placing past Davari.
Bielefeld for their part offered next to nothing in attack in the first half. Captain and frontman Fabian Klos saw very little of the ball, whilst Volgsammer wasted a cross from Christoph Hemlein, with his shot not doing anything to trouble Schäfer. It just about summed up their first 45 minutes.
A little more intent from Bielefeld not enough
Unsurprisingly they changed things round at half time, with Staude coming on for Stephan Salgar. They showed more positive intent too, and a free-kick from Schütz was met by Hemlein at the far post, with his header kept out by Schäfer.
They weren’t able to build on that though. A free-kick from Kempe almost made it two for Nürnberg, but Davari did well to stop it from dipping in under the bar. Möwald would shoot wide as well, but the game would then reach something of a stalemate.
In the final 15 minutes, Bielefeld came again. A free-kick from Schütz was headed on towards goal by Julian Börner, with the veteran keeper Schäfer making mover save to deny him. From the following corner Voglsammer headed wide.
They threatened again when a David Ulm shot was blocked, and Klos couldn’t quite meet a Voglsammer cross, but in truth Nürnberg comfortably saw the game out. A better side might have punished them for not extended their lead though.