2. BL: Magdeburg dominate against toothless Braunschweig

Mateusz Żukowski and Baris Atik continued their impressive runs of form as Magdeburg extended their revival under Petrik Sander with a dominant display on the road.

The visitors asserted control almost immediately. Early on, Atik released Żukowski in behind the Braunschweig defence, forcing Ron-Thorben Hoffmann into a sharp low save. Although the hosts saw more of the ball as the half wore on, the contest became increasingly scrappy, with both sides struggling to find any real attacking rhythm.

Magdeburg’s pressure finally told four minutes before the interval. The ever-dangerous Atik picked up possession on the edge of the area and saw his curling effort parried by Hoffmann, only for the rebound to fall kindly to Żukowski, who tapped home first time to extend his scoring streak to three consecutive matches and send the visitors into the break with a deserved lead.

Sander’s side picked up where they left off after the restart, carrying the momentum into the second half. Just a minute in, Żukowski slid Noah Pesch through on the right side of the box, but the youngster’s effort was deflected over the bar by last-ditch defending.

Magdeburg doubled their advantage 11 minutes from time through their talisman Atik, who cut inside from the left and curled a composed finish beyond Hoffmann. The visitors put the result beyond doubt in the 90th minute when Maximilian Breunig’s snap shot from inside the area left Hoffmann helpless to complete a 3-0 rout and ensure the points returned to Saxony-Anhalt.

The result extends Magdeburg’s unbeaten run to four matches as Sander’s side continue to impress, climbing temporarily to 13th in the table. For Braunschweig, it was a dismal night, as they suffered their first defeat in four games and remain precariously placed in 16th.