1. FC Magdeburg wins narrowly against Wehen Wiesbaden

Concentrated defending and one goal up front: 1. FC Magdeburg secured an important three points to start the second half of the Bundesliga 2 season. The FCM won 1:0 (0:0) against Wehen Wiesbaden. Tatsuya Ito (80') scored the late winner. Wiesbaden's Amar Catic was shown a yellow card shortly before the end after a repeated foul (85'). With 23 points, Magdeburg overtook Wiesbaden in the table and are now six points clear of the relegation zone.

Returner Tobias Müller was in the starting line-up, Cristiano Piccini found himself on the bench instead. Coach Christian Titz had to do without his center forwards and instead started with the mobile Mohammed El Hankouri in the attacking line. Magdeburg focused on possession and short passing, while the visitors were on the lookout for counter-attacks.

In an initial attack by the Elbe side, Wehen goalkeeper Florian Stritzel cleared the ball straight onto the head of Baris Atik (7'), but the Magdeburg man was too surprised to convert it. Wehen preferred to counter-attack down the right flank and Müller was able to clear a header from Ivan Prtajin (12). Magdeburg were able to create situations in the penalty area, but rarely scored. The hosts controlled the game completely, but were unable to score against a deep-lying opponent before the break.

The picture was hardly any different after the break, even if Wiesbaden were now a little more aggressive and attacking. The visitors now also attacked Magdeburg in their half, putting FCM's build-up play under pressure time and again. However, Thijmen Goppel's shot from distance (55') was no problem for FCM goalkeeper Dominik Reimann. Magdeburg regained control of the game after around an hour, but were still unable to find any gaps in the visitors' defensive structure.

The most promising opportunity fell to El Hankouri (65), who missed the target from an acute angle. Substitute Ito (70) also initially failed with his low shot - Stritzel held on. However, after a superb pass from substitute Silas Gnaka, the Japanese striker (80) smashed the ball under the crossbar and into the net. Shortly afterwards, the visitors were down to ten men because substitute Catic had to leave the pitch with a yellow card.

Wiesbaden were only rarely able to hint at the danger they posed, partly because the returning Müller played a strong game in the FCM's central defense. Magdeburg lacked penetration in attack, however. In Braunschweig, the return of a center forward should bring more power to the FCM attack. If FCM defend with the same level of concentration, points should also be possible against the resurgent Lions.