Braunschweig secures promotion: drama in the relegation second leg!

Braunschweig secures promotion: drama in the relegation second leg!

In an exciting relegation game to the 2nd Bundesliga, Eintracht Braunschweig secured relegation on May 27, 2025. After a 2-0 win in the first leg against 1. FC Saarbrücken, a 2-2 draw in the second leg was enough to consolidate their place in the second division. The overall standings ended 4-2 in favor of Braunschweig, who competed under interim coach Marc Pfitzner after Daniel Scherning was fired. This decision came after a tense season in which the Braunschweig team only got two points from the last four games and slipped to 16th place. The relegation was crucial for them to stay in the league, as [joyn] reports.

1. FC Saarbrücken, who ended last season in third place in the 3rd league, wanted to make up for the two-goal deficit in the second leg. Coach Alois Schwartz demanded courageous performances from his team. Both teams dominated caution in the first half, with Braunschweig having a few chances with Christian Conteh and Sebastian Polter but failing to find the net.

Intense second leg

The second half started with a shock for Braunschweig when a penalty was given to Saarbrücken in the 66th minute after a handball by Paul Jaeckel. Florian Krüger converted this to the great relief of the Saarbrücken fans. In the 83rd minute, Kai Brünker equalized to 2-2, which further boosted the guests' hopes.

However, the people of Braunschweig did not allow themselves to be defeated. In injury time of the first extra time, Fabio Di Michele Sanchez scored the decisive 1-0. This lead was not enough because the Saarbrücken team were now under pressure on the defensive. Rayan Philippe scored another goal for Braunschweig shortly before the end of extra time and made the final score. Ron-Thorben Hoffmann was crowned player of the game, making a significant contribution to the success with important saves and a well-organized defensive performance, as [bundesliga.com] highlights.

The season balance

With the hat trick of goals and a decisive player performance, Eintracht Braunschweig was able to hold its nerve and hold its own against the challenge from Saarbrücken. The team consistency and the tactical style of play under interim coach Pfitzner proved to be the decisive factors in these exciting relegation games, which were of great importance for both Braunschweig and Saarbrücken.

So Eintracht Braunschweig remains in the 2nd Bundesliga, while Saarbrücken now has to think about how they can return next season.