2. Bundesliga: A red card apiece as Braunschweig and Kiel draw

Two red cards for Lukas Frenkert and Lasse Rosenboom, either side of half-time, dominate the headlines in this one, while goals from Mehmet Aydin and Noel Niehoff ensured the sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw.

After a cagey opening 20 minutes, the match suddenly burst into life when Braunschweig were awarded a penalty in the 25th minute. Kiel defender John Tolkin handled clumsily from a long throw, allowing Aydin to step up and confidently convert from the spot to put the hosts ahead.

Kiel pushed hard for an equaliser, and the game’s first major turning point arrived in the 43rd minute when Frenkert brought down Adrian Kapralik as he knocked the ball towards goal. The defender was sent off, leaving the home side a man down. Kiel capitalised just seven minutes later, with Marko Ivezic delivering a teasing cross that Niehoff met first time to steer past Ron-Thorben Hoffmann - his first goal for the club - swinging momentum firmly in Kiel’s favour. The sides went in level at 1-1.

Just seven minutes into the second half, Kiel’s numerical advantage disappeared when Rosenboom received a second yellow card for what the referee judged to be an elbow to the face of Christian Conteh, dealing the visitors a significant blow.

Conteh was involved again on the hour mark, weaving through three challenges before exchanging a one-two with Aydin and firing low towards goal, only for Krumrey to produce a smart stop. Braunschweig continued to pose the greater threat, forcing several good saves from Krumrey as Kiel increasingly showed signs of fatigue after their midweek cup exertions.

The referee brought the match to a close after five minutes of stoppage time, with the score still 1-1 at the end of a second half where chances were scarce. Kiel will likely be the more satisfied of the two sides.

A point does little for either team, as both remain firmly involved in the relegation battle, sitting 14th and 13th respectively.