Nuremberg and Wolfsburg win

With both teams battling for a spot in the Europa League and an outside chance at more, Hertha were the more active team early and grabbed the lead in the 21st minute. Per Skjelbred rifled the ball home after a scramble in Wolfsburg’s penalty area.

Striker Adrian Ramos, who has been linked with a move to Dortmund, had a couple of good opportunities to double Hertha’s advantage but didn’t have his scoring boots on. Still Hertha took their lead into the dressing room.

Wolfsburg turned the match around with a corner kick just before the hour mark. Robin Knoche headed home to level things. And in the 78th minute, Daniel Caligiuri smacked in a supersonic shot from distance to put Wolfsburg ahead.

Anis Ben-Hatira hit the crossbar with a late header, but the Wolves were able to hold on for the 2-1 victory. The result means Wolfsburg leapfrog Borussia Mönchengladbach into fifth place. Hertha are eighth.

Nuremberg squeak by Augsburg

Augsburg came into Sunday comfortably in the middle of the table, while Nuremberg had won two of three in 2014. And their mutual respect was clearly evident in a match that didn’t really get going in the first half.

Nuremberg had more possession, but Augsburg looked more decisive and dangerous on the break, so the two teams basically cancelled each other out. The “highlight” of the first 45 minutes was a laughable dive by Augsburg striker Arkadiusz Milik, who earned a yellow card and should take some acting lessons.

The second half was much of the same until the 65-minute mark. Then Adam Hlousek found Josip Drmic with a cross, and the Swiss headed Nuremberg in front. It was the striker’s eleventh goal of the season.

The narrow win moves Nuremberg up to fourteenth and out of the relegation zone, which is currently occupied by Freiburg, Hamburg and Eintracht Braunschweig.