Bundesliga and 3. Liga Teams Face Struggles Amid Injury Woes and Controversial Decisions

Borussia Mönchengladbach secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mainz 05 despite missing nine players due to injuries. Coach Eugen Polanski highlighted key absences including Florian Neuhaus and Franck Honorat, but remains hopeful for their return along with Philipp Sander and possibly Tim Kleindienst for the upcoming match against Wolfsburg. Joe Scally will miss the next match after a fifth yellow card. Polanski praised the team's resilience amidst adversity.

Meanwhile, Hannover 96 suffered a setback in their promotion ambitions, squandering a 2-0 lead to end in a 2-2 draw against Münster. Coach Christian Titz voiced disappointment, emphasizing the team’s failure to close out the match. This draw marked the third time this season Hannover dropped points from 2-0 leads against lower-table teams, significantly impacting their standing and allowing rivals like Schalke and former coach Stefan Leitl to close in.

In the 3. Liga, Alemannia Aachen drew 2-2 with Hansa Rostock but remained in the relegation zone fight amid controversy over referee Daniel Bartnitzki’s decisions. Captain Bentley Baxter Bahn condemned two critical early calls—a straight red to defender Wiebe for a dubious handball and a penalty awarded to Rostock for a handball outside the box—as "gross errors." Despite being a man down for over 80 minutes, Aachen matched their opponents and scored a late equalizer through Ademi. Coach Mersad Selimbegovic acknowledged the poor officiating but kept composure, while Bahn called for technological aids to assist referees. Aachen stays just two points above relegation.