BERLIN (AP) — Werder Bremen secured promotion back to the Bundesliga along with Schalke thanks to a 2-0 win over Jahn Regensburg in Germany’s second division on Sunday.
Hamburger SV came from behind to beat Hansa Rostock 3-2 away to clinch a two-leg playoff against Hertha Berlin on May 19 and 23 to see which club plays in the Bundesliga next season. Hertha finished third from bottom in the top division on Saturday.
Goals in either half from Niclas Füllkrug and Marvin Ducksch on Sunday ensured Bremen returned to Germany’s top division after one season in the second.
Bremen finished two points behind Schalke, which clinched promotion last weekend. Both Schalke and Bremen were relegated from the Bundesliga last season.
Schalke enjoyed a 2-1 win in Nuremberg to finish as second division champion. It was its ninth win in 10 games since club hero Michael Büskens returned to take over as interim coach since Dimitrios Grammozis’ dismissal in March. It completed a remarkable turnaround for the club since it cut ties with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Darmstadt staked its claim for promotion with a 3-0 win over Paderborn, but Hamburg’s win in Rostock was enough for the former Bundesliga heavyweight to finish third – ahead of Darmstadt on goal difference – for the playoff spot.
Ingolstadt and Erzgebirge Aue were relegated to the third division, while Dynamo Dresden faces a playoff to survive in the second division.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
___
Ciarán Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
