- Klose loses his debut as Nürnberg coach
Budu Siwsiwadse of Karlsruhe SC spoiled Miroslav Klose's debut as coach of 1. FC Nürnberg in his first competitive match. The Georgian national almost single-handedly turned the game around after a 0:2 deficit, scoring three goals (45+2/73/79) for the 3:2 home win. The 30-year-old cancelled out the Nuremberg goals from Kanji Okunuki (20') and Florian Pick (31').
After a summer overhaul, Siwsiwadse's strike partner Florian Schleusener had the first chance for the hosts, only to hit the bar from close range (17'). Moments later, Okunuki ended his goal drought, scoring his first goal since mid-November 2023. Karlsruhe had another chance through Schleusener, but the ball was cleared just before the line. Nuremberg appeared more clinical in the first half, with Pick's deflected shot making it 2:0. Siwsiwadse gave the home fans hope with a goal just before halftime, making it 1:2.
In the second half, Dzenis Burnic went down in the box (59'), but referee Robin Braun, after consulting the VAR, waved play on. Siwsiwadse completed his hat-trick, leaving former goal machine Klose disappointed as he failed to inspire his team in the dying minutes.
Despite Siwsiwadse's heroics, his performance in the first half was not as impressive as in the second, as he only managed to score his first goal just before halftime, equaling Nürnberg's 2-goal lead with The first is FC Nürnberg's deficit becoming a 1-goal advantage. In the thrilling second half, Siwsiwadse showed his class, completing his hat-trick and giving Karlsruhe the winning 3-2 score, proving to be a thorn in the side of the struggling Nürnberg team.
