Bundesliga wrap: Frankfurt edge Greuther

Eintracht Frankfurt continued their bid for UEFA Champions League football next season with a 3-2 win away to Greuther Fuerth.

In a battle of the top two clubs from last season’s Bundesliga 2, Frankfurt defeated the reigning second-tier champions thanks to a man-of-the-match performance from Alexander Meier.

The 30-year-old attacking midfielder set up Frankfurt’s first goal and scored the third as Frankfurt picked up their first Bundesliga victory in six matches.

After Nikola Durdic put Greuther in front in just the second minute on Sunday, the visitors hit back 10 minutes later through Takashi Inui.

The 24-year-old Japanese winger received Meier’s pass on the left of the penalty box, cut back onto his right boot and smashed the ball past Greuther goalkeeper Max Gruen.

Frankfurt were in front in the 58th minute when a left-wing cross made it all the way to Stefan Aigner at the back post and his strike was deflected into the net.

Frankfurt were cruising 10 minutes later when Meier got onto the scoresheet with a fine strike from the edge of the area for his 12th goal of the season but Greuther ensured a nervous finish to the game after Sercan Sararer scored in the 72nd minute.

The hosts hit the post soon after but Frankfurt held on to regain fifth position in the Bundesliga ahead of Mainz.

Frankfurt have 42 points from 27 games, the same as fourth-placed Schalke but are behind on goals scored, while Mainz and Freiburg, who are sixth and seventh respectively, both have 39 points.

Fourth place in the Bundesliga comes with a spot in the qualifying rounds of next season’s Champions League.

In the other Bundesliga match on Sunday, Nuremburg scored twice in five second-half minutes to claim a 2-2 draw at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg led early through Diego’s third-minute goal and were two goals up at half-time thanks to Ivica Olic’s strike just before the half-hour mark.

But Nuremburg extended their unbeaten run to eight games thanks to goals from Timmy Simons (61st minute) and Per Nilsson (66th minute).