FC Nürnberg [2. Bundesliga]

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Nürnberg 1 - 1 Bochum

5' [0 - 1] S. Sestak
9' [1 - 1] Z. Misimovic

Nürnberg 1-1 Bochum

The points were shared at the easycredit Stadion as Nürnberg and Bochum shared one goal apiece.

The away side needed just five minutes to get their noses in front in this game with the ever-dangerous Stanislav Sestak getting the goal. A through ball from Dabrowski found the forward through on goal. After leaving Glauber for pace the Slovak gave Klewer no chance in the one-on-one duel to fire Bochum ahead.

The lead however lasted just three minutes with Misimovic equalising on eight minutes. Robert Vittek broke down the right and laid the ball off to Saenko. The Russian didn’t connect properly with his shot but Jan Koller reacted by feeding Misimovic. The midfielder fired in with a left-foot shot to get ‘der Klub’ back on level terms.

The result sees Nürnberg remain in the bottom three.

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Bundesliga, Matchday 26 | PREVIEW
Nürnberg – Bayern Munich

When you are down at the bottom and in desperate need of points the last thing you want is the league leaders to arrive in top form, but that is what Nürnberg have to face on Saturday.

Bayern looked like they were back to their sizzling best last weekend against Bayer Leverkusen and the 2-1 scoreline just didn’t do their performance justice. If they can reproduce that level of performance it will be difficult to predict anything other than a heavy defeat for Nürnberg.

However, ‘der Klub’ will look to last season for inspiration when in Ottmar Hitzfeld’s first game in charge after returning to the club, Nürnberg inflicted a hefty 3-0 defeat on their Bavarian neighbours.

How things have changed though, with trainer Thomas von Heesen still looking for his first win in his efforts to lift last season’s Cup winners out of the drop-zone. On form, it looks like he will be waiting a little longer for that victory.

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Nurnberg 1 - 1 Bayern Munich

44' [1 - 0] Z. Misimovic
81' [1 - 1] L. Podolski

Nürnberg 1-1 Bayern

An impressive first half performance from the home side was rewarded on 44 minutes with a goal. A quickly taken throw-in caught Bayern cold and Zvjezdan Misimovic fired past Oliver Kahn to give Nürnberg a well deserved lead.

Bayern’s endeavour in the second 45 minutes paid off though with substitute Lukas Podolski scoring his first league goal of the season in the 81st minute to rescue a point for the league leaders.

See full match report: Goal.com - Germany - Podolski Goal Earns Bayern Draw

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Bundesliga, Matchday 27 | PREVIEW
Eintracht Frankfurt – Nürnberg

Frankfurt host Nürnberg, who are still desperate for the points as they seek to escape from the bottom three. Eintracht come into this Round 27 clash on the back of three consecutive wins, the most recent of which saw them beat Leverksen at the Bay-Arena to move within two points of a European qualification berth.

The Eagles will fancy their chances against bottom of the table Nürnberg at the Commerzbank Arena, knowing that a win could see them leapfrog Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen in the table.

Nürnberg performed admirably last weekend at home to Bayern and it would not have been undeserved had they come away with all three points. Sadly for them Lukas Podolski popped up with his first Bundesliga goal of the season to rescue a point for the league leaders and condemn ‚der Klub’ to another week propping up the Bundesliga.

Thomas von Heesen is still awaiting his first win as Nürnberg trainer having succeeded Hans Meyer in the hot seat at the easycredit Stadion. He will be hoping for a repetition of the result from the home game this season, which saw a 5-1 win for Nürnerg. However, it is 17 years since their last away win in Frankfurt.

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Eintracht Frankfurt 1-3 Nürnberg

Nürnberg took a huge step towards securing their Bundesliga survival with a well-earned away win at Frankfurt.

The home side got themselves off to the ideal start with a goal after just three minutes. Amanatidis broke free down the left past Abardonardo and sent a sublime cross into the centre, that saw Michael Fink volley home from 14 meters to hand Eintracht an early lead.

Struggling Nürnberg however got themselves back in the game after 18 minutes by grabbing the equaliser through Angelos Charisteas. Seconds earlier Saenko has just missed, the Greek striker converted from close range after good work down the left from Misimovic.

The game then had to be interrupted and the players left the pitch after half an hour with burning fireworks raining down on the pitch and the police having to enter the stand where the away fans were. After a fifteen minute break, the game got back underway, but with the warning that the game would be stopped at the next similar incident.

‘Der Klub’ then got themselves in front on 49 minutes when Robert Vittek profited from a corner which Eintracht keeper Nikolov had trouble dealing with. The three points and the valuable win was sealed on 83 minutes when Misimovic applied the finishing touch to a fine counter attacking move.

The win doesn’t see Nürnberg out of the bottom three, but it is a step in the right direction after their draw with Bayern last week.

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Goal.com - Bundesliga - Bundesliga Round-Up: Schalke Go Second, Werder Back In The Running

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DFB To Look Into Firework Incident

The German Football Association has vowed to investigate yesterday's firework throwing incident that caused the Frankfurt Nürnberg match to be interrupted for twenty minutes.

The game that Nürnberg won 3-1 saw referee Peter Gagelmann take the players off the field for twenty minutes after the away fans threw a series of fireworks onto the pitch.

DFB vice-president Dr Rainer Koch told DFB - Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V. - *Startseite "It has already been announced that the events surrounding the break in the game in the first half will be included in the referee's report.

"Of importance for the investigations of the control committee which sits on Monday, is also the information from the relevant security authorities and experts."

Koch added that Eintracht Frankfurt could also face possible sanctions for allowing the fireworks into the stadium.

"It is clear that the incidents will be judged under two aspects" he said.

"In the centre is of course the liability of Nürnberg for their supporters and their behaviour.

"A further question how the thrown fireworks could be brought into the stand whether therefore Frankfurt has possibly neglected their stewarding."

Goal.com - Germany - DFB To Look Into Firework Incident

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Nürnberg and Frankfurt fined

The DFB Sports Court has fined Bundesliga clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Nürnberg.

Saturday's match between Frankfurt and Nuremberg had to be interrupted after firecrackers and Bengal firework had been used in the away fans section.

FCN were ordered to pay 50,000 euros, Eintracht Frankfurt have to pay 25,000.

Both clubs have accepted the verdict.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Bad news for relegation-threatened 1. FC Nürnberg: top scorer Zvjezdan Misimovic may miss out on Friday's crunch game against Wolfsburg.

"Zwetschge", who recently announced his retirement from the Bosnian national team, has adductor problems, and the 25 year-old is fifty-fifty for the all-important game agaimst VfL Wolfsburg.

"We'll have to wait and see if he is able to play at all on Friday", announced Head Coach Thomas von Heesen during Nürnberg's press conference on Wednesday.

"Misimovic is a player who plays with intuition, and that's what's so special about him", the coach said further, adding, "he doesn't play by set ruels and that can be a problem when he is injured and cannot move as freely as he would like to."

Glauber definitely sidelined

Defender Glauber is certain to miss Friday's game. The 24 year-old Brazilian has made 19 league appearances thus far this season. "He has a torn muscle and will definitely not play", stated von Heesen.

On the plus side for the 17th placed club, Jaouhar Mnari may make the team sheet. The Tunisean is back in training and could at least make the bench, although von Heesen has yet to announce which players will be included on Friday night.

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Thomas von Heesen celebrated his first win as Nürnberg coach last weekend. He spoke with bundesliga.de about the challenges ahead.

"We have the players who enough class to avoid relegation", von Heesen told bundesliga.de in an exclusive interview. Von Heesen believs that is only possible if the squad consequently sticks to his "clear strategy" in the remaining games of the season. If the 3:1 win in Frankfurt is anything to go by, the plan might just work!

bundesliga.de: Thomas von Heesen, congratulations on your first win as Nürnberg coach. 13 seems to be your lucky number. How big was your relief after finally winning in your 13th competitve game as the Nürnberg coach?

Thomas von Heesen: Our success in Frankfurt was just one step, but what matters is what we achieve at the end of the season. Come May 17th, we want to have secured our first division status and celebrate it. Only then can we talk about "relief".

bundesliga.de: Nürnberg were 1:0 down after three minutes. Thus far this season, when the team concedes the first goal, ten away defeats have been recorded. How testing have the last few weeks been?

Von Heesen: The relegation battle is tough for everyone. We are all aware of the challenging situation and we have prepared ourselves mentally for it. It's our job to develop the squad and give it stability.

bundesliga.de: Nürnberg have often played well, but suffered from bad luck. The team is a league-low scoring conversion stat and only managed to play twice without conceding a goal. Additionally, Nürnberg have netted three own-goals. The squad is not as deep as it should be, and there are problems in attack and defence. Where do your priorities lie?

Von Heesen: I have a clear strategy and my team will and must ensure they are implemented. We've been working hard in training to achieve that. We cannot change the past! There's no use even thinking about it. We have the players with enough class to beat the drop. All we need to do is continue to use the attributes which make us strong.

bundesliga.de: Midfield playmaker "Zwetschge" Misimovic has scored ten goals and set up another three. He was man of the match against Eintracht Frankfurt as well. Is it a bonus or a burden to be dependent on such a player?

Von Heesen: It's true that "Zwetschge" has been enjoying a great run of form. But when he scores, he profits from the work of the entire team. Naturally, I hope he can continue to play so well for a few weeks more.

bundesliga.de: Nürnberg, the DFB cup holders and UEFA Cup participants, are threatened with relegation. On top of that there have been problems with the fans, and an open letter didn't help improve the relationship. The club has been an an emotional rollercoaster ride: how has that affected the squads working environment?

Von Heesen: The perfect solution is to work hard and achieve something that everybody wants.

bundesliga.de: Nürnberg's remaining fixtures are tough, with amongst others, games against Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, Dortmund and Schalke. Berlin has always been a tough opponent as well. On the other hand, Nürnberg must go up against Duisburg and Bielefeld, two direct rivals for survival. What will be your approach to the remaining games?

Von Heesen: Our attitude must be to get something out of each and every game. Of course, games against our rivals to avoid relegation must be won.

bundesliga.de: Finally, a question about the events in Frankfurt. Martin Bader hopes that the fan block will "clean up itself". The Nürnberg "Ultras" have always been respectable fans in Nürnberg, but there are obviously problems with other fan groups and with the team itself. How does the club and the squad see the situation?

Von Heesen: Nobody wishes to see scenes we saw during the Frankfurt game, as it damages football in general. As a team, we will do all we can to help things like that occurring again in the future.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Bundesliga, Matchday 28 | PREVIEW
Nürnberg – Wolfsburg

With just seven games left things are really getting desperate for Nürnberg as they strive for their Bundesliga survival. Last season’s Cup winners have had an awful season, but the signs have been there in recent weeks that ‘der Klub’ have what it takes to stay up.

A valiant effort at home against Bayern Munich could have brought them a win such was the level of their performance, but that long awaited first win for Thomas von Heesen came last weekend with a 3-1 away win at Frankfurt.

Wolfsburg will be looking to keep up their push on the European places as the form side in the second half of the season. Felix Magath’s side are only two points off a European qualification spot and a win against Nürnberg would put them in the top five, albeit temporarily until the weekend’s matches are completed.

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Nürnberg v Wolfsburg POSTPONED!

The Friday night Bundesliga clash between Nürnberg and Wolfsburg was rained off at half-time after a torrential downpour made the pitch unplayable.

Referee Jochen Drees was forced into postponing this Bundesliga tie at half time with the home side leading 1-0.

The first half had descended into a farce with huge puddles of water all over the pitch and the ball becoming stuck making passing impossible.

Nürnberg had taken the lead after 35 minutes when a Saenko shot slipped through the hands of Wolfsburg keeper Diego Benaglio. The visitors had earlier missed a penalty when Blazek saved well from Marcelinho.

The game will now have to be replayed at a later date.

Goal.com - Germany - Nürnberg-Wolfsburg Rained Off

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Nürnberg-Wolfsburg Set For Sunday

The Bundesliga match between Nürnberg and Wolfsburg, which was abandoned at half time on Friday due to a waterlogged pitch, has been rescheduled for this Sunday.

Referee Dr. Jochen Drees was forced to call off Friday’s game at the easycredit Stadion after torrential rain made the pitch unplayable. The two teams left the pitch at half time and were unable to return.

The score at the time was 1-0 to Nürnberg, with Ivan Saenko firing in a shot which slipped through the hands of keeper Diego Benaglio. Marcelinho had earlier missed a penalty for the visitors.

However, the game will be restarted and played in its entirety meaning it will start at 0-0.

Nürnberg currently sit bottom of the table and have a tough away game on Wednesday against VfB Stuttgart as they attempt to save their top flight status.

Goal.com - Bundesliga - Nürnberg-Wolfsburg Set For Sunday

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Bundesliga, Matchday 29 | PREVIEW
Stuttgart – Nürnberg

Stuttgart’s recent upturn in fortunes took a hit on Sunday as they went down to a 3-0 defeat to fellow European hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen. A quick return to winning ways will be sought against bottom side Nürnberg, who are fighting for their lives.

The Swabians will probably still be without Mario Gomez, who may be given a little longer to prove his full fitness.

‘Der Klub’ looked like they were on their way to a priceless victory on Friday leading 1-0 at half-time against Wolfsburg, but the weather was to ruin their night with the game abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. The two southern rivals will go head to head on Wednesday with three vital points on the agenda for both clubs.

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Stuttgart 3 - 0 Nürnberg

3' [1 - 0] J. Cacau
13' [2 - 0] A.d. Silva
31' [3 - 0] F. Meira

Stuttgart 3-0 Nürnberg

Stuttgart took three important points with a 3-0 win over Nürnberg at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion with all three goals coming in the first half. ‘Der Klub’ remain rooted to the foot of the table.

The home side took just three minutes to take the lead and it was Brazilian Cacau who got the goal. A weak backwards header from Pinola was latched onto by Cacau, who saw his first effort saved by Blazek, but the rebound hit him on the foot and went in.

Ten minutes later and it was 2-0 to the Swabians. Boka broke down the left and fed Cacau, who found himself in a good shooting position. The striker however had the presence of mind to spot da Silva in a better position and laid the ball off to the midfielder and he stroked the ball home from 14 meters out.

Things went from bad to worse for Nürnberg on the half hour mark with Fernando Meira heading in Stuttgart’s third of the game. The VfB captain was allowed a free header from a corner and made no mistake from close range.

There were no further goals in the second 45 minutes so Nürnberg will have to look to Sunday’s replayed match with Wolfsburg for their next points.