Magdeburg lost their away game at Ingolstadt despite some very good football during the first half. It changes nothing: secodn from bottom and it is not getting easier.

Tiki Taka from the Elbe

It’s no shame to lose the game away at Ingolstadt – it’s the manner. An own goal by Burger who has had a very good game on the day, and who just could not get out the way of the ricocheting ball which trundled into an empty net. A point was more than deserved, particularly after the first half when Magdeburg simply let Ingolstadt not have the ball.

Once again Magdeburg are left empty handed after a game that was another improvement over the last few weeks yet clear cut chances were missing by and large it has to be said. Moreover, a referee who dished out cards against Magdeburg for rather minor infringements but let Ingolstadt’s Kutschke get away without a even a yellow when his elbow check into the back of Burger simply was not intended to get the ball or to prevent a goal scoring chance for Mageburg – Kutschke is a centre forward, Burger a central defender – he wanted to block Kutschke. In this instance it would have been understandable had Kutschke just ran into the back of his opponent but he pushed his elbow out and simply shoved Burger to ground. Additionally, Kutschke vented some verbal niceties towards Burger who was in agony on the floor. Such behaviour is just unsportsmanlike and that is the polite way of describing this player Kutschke.

Magdeburg’s Gjasula went off for two ‘trend fouls’ i.e. stepping on the toes of his opponent. Twice whithin five minutes. This man is not 18 any more. This man is 34, has played Champions League, represented his country of birth, Albania and played more than 450 games at professional level. These trend fouls should not happen, not at his age, not at this level.

No Excuses, No Explanations

This however is neither excuse nor explanation why Magdeburg have not scored against Ingolstadt who were not the better team during the first half. In fact Magdeburg had pinned them back to their goal more often than they could possibly have envisaged before kick-off.

That only ten Magdeburgers were on the pitch became only apparent during the second half when Ingolstadt had them boxed in but were thwarted by the visitor’s defence. At the end of the day Magdeburg stand empty handed and with their heads down. The situation has not gotten better, quite the opposite. The distance to place 16 is now two points, a gap that must not grow during the coming weeks.