dpa
Berlin
Bochum were the big winners in the Bundesliga relegation fight on Sunday thanks to a wild 4-3 win at rivals Union Berlin while third-bottom Mainz were held 1-1 at Heidenheim.
At the other end, recently crowned champions Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run in all competitions this season to 48 games - a joint European record with Benfica - after a 5-1 triumph at sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hugo Ekitiké nodded in to cancel out Granit Xhaka’s early curler but Patrik Schick’s towering header, a penalty from Exequiel Palacios Jeremie Frimpong’s counter-attack goal and Victor Boniface’s late spot-kick flattered the treble chasers.
Leverkusen are 2-0 up in their Europa League semi-final ahead of hosting Roma on Thursday while the German Cup final against Kaiserslautern also awaits on May 25.
Frankfurt could still end up in a sixth Champions League spot if remaining results go their way, although the defeat leaves Freiburg Hoffenheim and even Augsburg still in touch with two matchdays left.
In Berlin, Maximilian Wittek scored twice for Bochum with contrasting strikes inside the first 31 minutes and then former Union defender Keven Schlotterbeck, via a deflection, made it 3-0 before half-time.
The second period was completely different and Union’s famous fans never stopped encouraging their team, who first netted through Yorbe Vertessen’s shot from distance before fellow half-time substitute Chris Bedia kept his cool for Union’s second.
But the visitors then went 4-2 up through Philipp Hofmann’s unmarked header, only for Benedict Hollerbach to cut the deficit again on 74.
Bochum, in 14th, dug deep though and hung on to move three points above Union and four better off than Mainz.
Bochum, who sacked Thomas Letsch last month, had gone eight games without a win but former under-19 coach Heiko Butscher has now masterminded two victories in a row to push them away from danger.
“We took a big step today,” Wittek told DAZN. “We still have two tough games ahead of us. But we want to stay in the league, nothing else matters.” Cologne, in the automatic relegation places with already doomed Darmstadt, are six points behind Union with two games to play. The sides have similar goal differences and meet by the Rhine next Saturday in a massive game. Cologne are down if they do not win.
“I promise that we will perform completely differently next week,” Union midfielder Rani Khedira said. “We’ll do everything we can to stay in the league. But we have to deal with all scenarios and be prepared for everything.” Union started the season in the Champions League having finished fourth last term but have endured a roller-coaster campaign, which could end with a return to the second tier after five seasons.
Club president Dirk Zingler gave Union coach Nenad Bjelica his backing before kick-off amid reports they would soon part ways.
Like Bochum, Mainz have benefited from a change in coach with excitable Dane Bo Henriksen losing just two of 11 matches.
Heidenheim are strong at home yet Mainz striker Jonathan Burkardt, another big reason for their resurgence, scored the opener with his seventh of the season on 37 minutes.
A win would have taken the visitors out of the relegation play-off spot and dumped the Berliners into it, but Tim Kleindienst’s leveller midway through the second half gave mid-table Heidenheim a point.
