Heidenheim’s hopes of staying in the Bundesliga remain alive after a crucial 3-1 win at Cologne on Sunday.
With one game left this season, the teams in the bottom three – VfL Wolfsburg, Heidenheim and St Pauli – are tied on 26 points.
The trio will be fighting for 16th place in the league standings, which secures a ticket to the relegation/promotion play-off. Wolfsburg currently occupy that spot.
Wolfsburg will visit St Pauli in a direct duel, while Heidenheim host Mainz.
Cologne were level through Marius Bülter just two minutes after Jan Schöppner had given Heidenheim the lead in the eighth minute.
But Arijon Ibrahimović’s effort in the 28th and Schöppner’s brace in the 72nd secured Heidenheim the very important three points.
Hamburg beat Europa League finalists Freiburg
Freiburg are still in control of their own destiny and eyeing an even bigger prize, but they were made to wait for Conference League qualification in a 3-2 defeat at SV Hamburg.
Freiburg sit in the Conference League spot with 44 points, closely followed by Eintracht Frankfurt and Augsburg, both one point behind.
But they are also in the Europa League final. If they beat Aston Villa on May 20, they will qualify for the Champions League and the Conference League spot will be awarded to another team.
Hamburg, who were already safe from relegation, broke the deadlock in the 14th minute. Albert Grønbæk tried to feed Albert Sambi Lokonga with a low cross but the ball went all the way through to Bakery Jatta, who tapped it home.
But Freiburg hit back less than two minutes later. Igor Matanović got to Lukas Kübler’s cross in the box and found the net with a clumsy volley.
Hamburg retook the lead in the 64th thanks to Luka Vušković’s low and powerful free-kick from the edge of the box and Fabio Balde added a third three minutes later.
Matanović completed a late brace in the 87th but Freiburg weren’t able to fight for a comeback.
“We knew today wouldn’t be an easy game as Freiburg demand everything from their opponents. The way the lads tackled this tough challenge today is truly commendable,” Hamburg coach Merlin Polzin said.
He also wished Freiburg “the very best of luck” in the Europa League final.
Sunday’s other game is Mainz v Union Berlin.
On Saturday, RB Leipzig qualified for the Champions League after a 2-1 win against St Pauli, VfB Stuttgart won the top-four clash against Bayer Leverkusen 3-1, and champions Bayern Munich beat Werder Bremen 1-0.
