2. Bundesliga: Spoils shared in thrilling Franken derby
| Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images |
It was a positive start to life under Heiko Vogel for Fürth, who twice pegged back Nürnberg in a breathtaking second half. Goals from Felix Klaus and Aaron Keller ensured the visitors earned a point from a dramatic 2-2 draw.
The early exchanges were as expected, with both sets of fans generating a raucous atmosphere that spilled onto the pitch. Strong challenges flew in during a fiery opening 15 minutes. Nürnberg had a major scare just before the 20-minute mark when Fabio Gruber’s underhit back-pass allowed Noel Futkeu to steal in and round Jan Reichert, only for Gruber to recover brilliantly and prevent the striker from getting a shot away.
Fürth continued to look the more dangerous side. Aaron Keller’s cross just after the half-hour was diverted goalwards by Nürnberg defender Luka Lochoshvili, forcing Reichert into a stunning reflex save to prevent an own goal and keep the scores level heading into the break.
An exhilarating second half began just three minutes after the restart when Nürnberg struck first through Lochoshvili, who met a Julian Justvan cross and looped a header over Timo Schlieck. Fürth hit back only five minutes later, the lively Keller bursting down the left and squaring for Klaus, who guided the ball past Reichert at the first time of asking.
The goals kept coming as Nürnberg regained the lead just before the hour. Mohamed Ali Zoma received the ball on the left, drove across goal and unleashed a shot that deflected off Philipp Ziereis, leaving Schlieck helpless. But once again Fürth responded within minutes. Futkeu’s excellent hold-up play started the move before he combined with Jannik Dehm and laid the ball off for Keller, who capped a superb performance by drilling past Reichert from the left side of the box to make it 2-2.
With the match finally settling down after a frantic spell, chances became more sporadic. Nürnberg nearly went ahead in bizarre fashion 15 minutes from time when Schlieck lingered on the ball too long, allowing Adriano Grimaldi to charge down his clearance and send it narrowly wide. At the other end, Reichert preserved Nürnberg’s point with a magnificent double save, first from Julian Green and then again from Klaus on the rebound.
A draw felt a fair result after a wild start to the second half, with Nürnberg extending their unbeaten home run to four matches. Fürth will take encouragement from halting their two-game losing streak, though they remain 16th in the table.
