Nicolai Mueller scored twice as Hamburg SV eased their Bundesliga relegation fears with a 2-0 home win over third-placed Hertha BSC on Sunday.
Mueller broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he stopped Lewis Holtby’s deflected cross and rifled the ball inside the right post.
The 28-year-old midfielder sealed the result with 15 minutes remaining with a fine strike to the top corner on another assist from Holtby.
Photo: EPA
Hamburg climbed to 10th, seven points above Eintracht Frankfurt in the relegation playoff spot with nine games remaining. Frankfurt fired coach Armin Veh earlier on Sunday.
Hertha remained third in the last automatic qualification place for the UEFA Champions League, 16 points behind second-placed Borussia Dortmund and just one ahead of Schalke 04.
“When you play like that away from home, you can’t expect anything,” Hertha coach Pal Dardai said.
“Today Hamburg were clearly the better team,” he said.
Earlier, SV Darmstadt 98 held high-flying FSV Mainz 05 to a scoreless draw that denied the home side the chance to go fourth.
Mainz, who shocked leaders Bayern Munich with a 2-1 win in Munich on Wednesday last week, were frustrated in a scrappy game that saw five visiting players booked and one sent off for the home side.
Jhon Cordoba, who scored the winner against Bayern, had the best chance early in the second half after a brilliant pass from Yunus Malli, but the Colombian’s first touch was poor and Darmstadt goalkeeper Christian Mathenia was able to block.
The visitors received a boost minutes afterward when Giulio Donati was sent off for a foul on Sandro Wagner, but were unable to capitalize.
Mainz remained fifth, a point behind Schalke.
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