Arminia Bielefeld continued their impressive run in the 2. Bundesliga, securing a 2-1 victory over bottom-placed Holstein Kiel. The decisive goal came from US striker Isaiah Thomas, who netted the winner ten minutes from time.
Match Highlights
The match saw Japanese defender Hiroki Sekine involved in goals at both ends. Sekine initially scored an own goal, putting Holstein Kiel ahead. However, he later redeemed himself by scoring his first-ever league goal for Bielefeld, cancelling out his earlier error.
Before Bielefeld’s equaliser, Holstein Kiel believed they had found the net through Phil Harres, but his goal was disallowed due to a foul. Arminia Bielefeld also had an opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot in the second half, but captain Joel Grodowski uncharacteristically missed the kick.
The winning moment arrived when Grodowski combined with Isaiah Thomas. A quick one-two between the two players sent Thomas through on goal, and he made no mistake, scoring 15 minutes after being introduced as part of a triple substitution by manager Oliver Kirch.
League Standings and Form
This victory sees Arminia Bielefeld climb to sixth in the 2. Bundesliga table, highlighting a significant turnaround in their form. Under manager Oliver Kirch, Bielefeld have now won four of their last five league matches. Their only failure to secure maximum points in this recent run was against league leaders Hertha. This strong period follows a challenging spell where the club had managed only one victory from their previous six games.
Conversely, Holstein Kiel’s struggles persist. The defeat means they will head into the upcoming international break at the very bottom of the 2. Bundesliga table. This loss marks their first time losing back-to-back games, further deepening their relegation concerns.