2. Bundesliga: Elversberg see off Braunschweig in convincing fashion | OneFootball

A first-half brace from Lukas Petkov set SV Elversberg firmly on course for victory, with Aaron Opoku’s unlikely strike briefly giving Eintracht Braunschweig hope before the interval. The hosts underlined their promotion credentials after the break, controlling proceedings with authority before David Mokwa sealed a deserved 3-1 win with 15 minutes remaining.

Vincent Wagner’s side made the perfect start, breaking the deadlock inside five minutes. Amara Condé won possession in midfield and drove purposefully towards the Braunschweig penalty area before slipping the ball to Petkov on the edge of the box. The forward needed no second invitation, bending a superb effort into the bottom corner to give the hosts an early lead.

Elversberg continued to dominate the early exchanges, pressing aggressively and pinning Braunschweig back. Their superiority was rewarded again in the 23rd minute. Immanuel Pherai surged forward before finding Petkov in space, and although his strike took a deflection on its way through, it made little difference as the ball nestled in the net to double the advantage.

It had been one-way traffic, yet Braunschweig found a route back into the contest ten minutes before half-time. Goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann launched a long ball forward, which Johan Gómez cleverly flicked into the path of Aaron Opoku. The winger kept his composure in front of Nicolas Kristof, slotting home to halve the deficit and offer the visitors a lifeline heading into the break.

Any momentum Braunschweig gained from that goal quickly evaporated after the restart. Elversberg reasserted their dominance, dictating the tempo and limiting the visitors to scraps. Tom Zimmerschied came close on two occasions - first seeing a shot deflected narrowly wide before firing just past the post on the hour mark - as the hosts tightened their grip on the game.

The decisive third goal arrived with 15 minutes remaining. Lasse Günther exploited space down the left flank and drove into an exposed defence before cutting the ball back to Petkov. Unselfishly, the two-goal hero squared for David Mokwa, who tapped in from close range to score his first home goal and put the result beyond doubt.

There was still time for Elversberg to extend their lead, but Carlo Sickinger failed to convert from the penalty spot late on. It mattered little, however, as Wagner’s men comfortably saw out a 3-1 victory.

A second consecutive win lifts Elversberg up to second place and keeps the pressure firmly on those around them in the promotion race. Braunschweig, meanwhile, remain 13th and will be anxiously watching results elsewhere as the relegation battle tightens.