SSV Jahn Regensburg shocked 1860 Munich with a 2-0 win in the second leg of their play-off to win promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.

With the tie balanced at 1-1 after the first leg, Regensburg took the game to their more illustrious opponents, with Kolja Pusch and Marc Lais stunning the Lions with two first half goals.

1860 needed three in the second half, but they never looked like getting them, and the game ended in disgrace as missiles were thrown from the fans and the fans contemplated their drop into the 3. Liga.

Sechzig’s future on the line

The first leg on Friday had finished all square, with Lais giving Regensburg an early lead, only for Florian Neuhaus to equalise with a vital away goal. Marin Pongracic was then sent off for a second yellow card, with Andreas Geipl’s going on to have a late penalty saved by Stefan Ortega.

With his club’s 2. Bundesliga status on the line, Vítor Pereira made three changes from Friday, with two enforced by suspensions for Pongracic and Romuald Lacazette. Kai Bülow and Neuhaus came in for them, with Christian Gytkjaer also replacing Sascha Mölders.

Heiko Herrlich meanwhile was able to make one change to his starting line-up, with Jann George returning from injury and Uwe Hesse dropping down to the bench.

More than 62,000 fans, including a fair number from Regensburg, had filled the Allianz Arena, but the majority would be left disappointed.

Pusch and Lais put Lions on the brink

Regensburg looked to take the attack to 1860 early on. The best chance they had fell to Marco Grüttner after Erik Thommy’s free-kick was poorly cleared. He could only shoot over the bar though.

The Lions did then start to pose more of a threat. Lumor‘s cross with men waiting in the box was terribly misguided, but a good ball from Neuhaus to play Gytkjaer through the lines resulting in the Danish striker scoring, however it was disallowed for a highly-dubious offside call – he looked just behind the last defender. Levent Aycicek almost had a chance to score as well after great work from Neuhaus, but Marvin Knoll dispossessed him with an excellent tackle.

Regensburg weren’t out of it and in the space of around a minute they began to pummel Ortega’s box, eventually leading to a goal. George and Thommy missed out, but Thommy then beat two defenders on the side of the pitch before finding Pusch with an excellent delivery. He fired the ball into the top corner to give his side the lead.

Five minutes before the break 1860 had a great chance to equalise, with Gytkjaer unable to turn Stefan Aigner’s excellent ball past Philipp Pentke. Moments later, they were further behind, as a cross from Marcel Hofrath found Lais in acres of space to head home. 1860 now needed three goals, and it could have been even worse, if Ortega hadn’t saved Grüttner’s chance just before the break.

The final straw as tensions boil over in the stands

With things looking desperate, Pereira brought on veteran campaigners Mölders and Ivica Olic. It made no difference. Abdoulaye Ba had to keep Grüttner in check to deny him capitalising on a looping ball from Pusch, whilst George volleyed wide from a Hofrath cross.

The Lions did then have a chance to launch their unlikely comeback. On the break Mölders crossed into Lumor, however Benedikt Saller denied him a shot with an excellent tackle. Other than that though their only threat was really coming from set pieces, with their opponents otherwise in complete comfort.

Another goal would have been added gloss for Regensburg, with Thommy and Grüttner having occasional opportunities. At the other end, Ba went wide with an attempted overhead kick.

Play was then delayed as flares and missiles began flying from the stands as the fans began to express their anger at the situation. It took more than ten minutes for play to resume. And when play was in front of the troublesome fans, chairs continued to fly down from the stands, but the referee was determined to finish the game.

Bülow had a goal disallowed, correctly this time, for offside, whilst a Mölders chance was put wide by Pentke. That was soon that though, and Regensburg could celebrate a remarkable victory and a return to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in four years. For 1860 Munich, the season ends in shame, both on and off the field.

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