Nuremberg hosted Greuther Furth in the Bavarian derby, with the visiting side all but relegated from the Bundesliga.
However, in a fiercely competitive first half it was Furth who took the lead through a wonderful long range strike from Johannes Geis.
In the second half Furth retreated deeper and deeper as Nuremberg hammered on the door, but the hosts could not find a way past Wolfgang Hesl in the visitors' goal as Furth clung on for a famous win.
Read how the action unfolded with our live text commentary below.
Hello all and thanks for joining me for our second Bundesliga game this afternoon. It's Nuremberg vs. Furth.
Not much time, so I'll get straight to the teams.
NUREMBERG XI: Schafer; Balitsch, Nilsson, Klose, Plattenhardt; Simons; Chandler, Kiyotake, Feulner, Esswein; Pekhart
FURTH XI: Hesl; Nehring, Mavraj, Kleine, Baba; Klaus, Furstner, Geis, Prib; Park, Djurdjic
Nuremberg are certainly favourite for this derby. There will be pride for Furth should they win this, but they're still almost certain to go down.
The players are just making their way towards the pitch now. It's a packed house in Nuremberg as it always is.
KICKOFF: The hosts get the action underway on what is a lush pitch in the sun.
Nuremberg win an immediate corner when Wolfgang Hesl puts a Timothy Chandler cross round his own post, somewhat unnecessarily. They then win a free kick and Furth somehow escape with the ball pinging about in the box. The hosts have started much better.
Tomas Djurdjic chases a seemingly lost ball but he manages to delivery a dangerous cross from it, but none of his teammates were attacking the ball, presumably thinking it was going out.
Furth have come into the game since the bright home start, and Park Jung-Bin cuts on to his right and lashes a shot from range into the face of Timm Klose, who does well not to fall over in a heap. A decent start to this one.
The reverse fixture was goalless in November, just one of the 15 points Furth have managed. They're looking bright here, though.
Alexander Esswein gives the ball away but then Stephan Furstner does likewise in a scrappy spell of play. Nuremberg are just edging up the field with a series of throws, but neither side has created a real chance yet. Feulner gets a header on target but he was quite far out in the box and it was a comfortable save.
The crowd bays for blood as Park goes in late on Hanno Balitsch, but the referee stays calm and refuses to go to his pocket. That's a couple of fouls early on from the Korean and I don't expect him to get away with another one. Esswein does well on the left, cutting inside then out to cross but Furth are defending well here.
BOOKING: No choice there for the referee than to book Felix Klaus, who lunges into Hiroshu Kiyotake completely needlessly. I've seen reds given for that, but the yellow was about right. From the free kick Prid heads behind his own goal with a good leap and Nuremberg have a corner. Kiyotake takes it and the giant Pekhart heads wide.
BOOKING: Kiyotake almost gets on to a good diagonal pass from Ballitsch, but the bounce favours the Furth defender Mergim Mavraj instead of the Japanese. Then Per Nilsson misreads a bounce, which allowed Djurdjic to get past, but he's pulled back and the Nuremberg centre-back is rightly booked.
Djurdjic then goes in slightly late himself but escapes a booking. That's just about right, too, despite the roars from the home crowd. It's very much being played like a derby at the moment!
Esswein beats Furstner with a bit of skill and crosses from the left. It's poor and is going straight to Hesl, but instead Baba slices a clearance behind his own goal. It comes in and Nilsson pokes towards goal after a bounce, but he puts it wide. Half-chance, that.
Esswein has been really lively and again he works space to cross. Furth clear, however, and Nuremberg come again with Marvin Plattenhardt, but he goes to ground a bit easily and there's no free kick given.
In terms of tackles, the game has settled down just a bit in the last few minutes. In terms of chance, there are still very few. Neither side is on top even if Nuremberg just about look most likely to make something happen.
Bernd Nehring wins a good tackle in the midfield and finds Furstner, but he chooses the wrong option of Park to his left and the ball is intercepted. They had three on three in that break and that could have been a real chance.
GOAL! Nuremberg 0-1 Furth (Johannes Geis)
Wow, what a hit from Geis! He drives from the half way line and no-one comes to close him down. As such, when he hits 30 yards from goal he fires it right into the top corner with his left. Fantastic strike and bottom side Furth lead!
CHANCE! At the other end Ballitsch crosses to Esswein, who shins an effort towards goal that is comfortable for Hesl in the end. Better contact, however, and that was a real chance.
BOOKING: Now Timmy Simons is booked for Nuremberg. Furth break and he pulls down Klaus cynically. It will always be a booking that, derby or not.
CLOSE! Geis goes for goal from the free kick with his right foot this time! It has whip and bend and ends up just the wrong side of the near post with Raphael Schafer scrambling.
This has been a really impressive showing from Furth so far. They started with a real bite to their tackling - perhaps over-zealous - and they're counter-attacking tactics have been bang on so far.
Nuremberg have just come into it a bit more in the last few moments. They win a corner following a cross into the box and are just upping the pressure. They have been threatening from set pieces.
SAVE! Spectacular effort from the 6'4" Pekhart there. The corner is half cleared and he sends it towards goal with an overhead kick, but it's blocked wide. From the next one Hesl scrambles the ball against the post and wide. They're really ramping up the pressure.
At the other end, Prib latches on to a perhaps overhit pass and managed to keep it in. Schafer gets down well to concede the corner, however. At the other end Nuremberg break but Nehring clears well.
BOOKING: Furth have dealt with the pressure now and have finally got out of their own half. They win a free kick but Klose clears with a good header. It goes back in and Park tries to work space for a shot, but it's blocked. Then he's finally booked for a foul on Kiyatake - more for persistent fouling.
Baba bursts down the left at pace after being found by Prib. His cross is blocked for a corner and Klose again heads it away. Nuremberg look to break but Djurdjic wins it back. The ball is passed to Park, whose shot is deflected and saved by Schafer.
BOOKING: Fantastic run by Esswein down the left, who is eventually brought down by the goalscorer Geis. It's the third Furth booking and that's equally justified. Meanwhile, Berkay Dabanli comes on for Klose.
Just a minute will be added on as Nuremberg press at the end of the half.
HALF-TIME: Nuremberg 0-1 Greuther Furth
A thoroughly entertaining Bavarian derby reaches half time and it's Furth who are just about worth the lead at the break. It was a goal worthy of opening the scoring in any contest.
As you might expect, we've also had a lot of mistimed tackles and cards. The referee at first was reluctant to reach to his pocket, but he's been given no choice by some of the tackles.
Nuremberg have already been forced into one change, with Klose struggling after being struck in the face by a shot from Park. He had to make way so for now I expect both coaches to leave things as-is.
In terms of the statistics, Nuremberg have seen a lot more of the ball as you might expect - 60%. They have also had five shots to Furth's three, but that is a little misleading as the chances for the visitors have been as good if not better.
The players are coming back out so we're almost ready for play to get back underway.
NUREMBERG SUB: Robert Mak comes on for Chandler for the second half.
Furth get us back underway here. They need a performance of at least the same standard as the first.
CHANCE! That is a really good chance for Pekhart! Plattenhardt crosses deep and Pekhart rises to win the header but puts it straight at Furth's keeper Hesl.
Furth have managed to settle down a little bit after that early chance. That said, Nuremberg are having all of the ball in the opening minutes here, but still just that really good Pekhart chance. It should have been the leveller, but Furth remain ahead.
Nuremberg win another corner. Kiyotake delivers it right to the six yard box and a couple of heads pop the ball high in the air, which allows Hesl to gather easily.
It's still all Nuremberg, but Furth are defending bravely and at the moment effectively. They break when Prib finds Klaus, but his shot-come-cross goes harmlessly over. He needed a bit of composure there.
They now have 30 minutes to hang on. In truth, they're not really hanging on. For all the hosts' possession they aren't creating chances and Furth are still looking dangerous on the break.
Superb tackle there by Furstner, before Furth break and Prib's half-volley is blocked at close range. Nuremberg come again and Esswein takes a horrible second touch down the right and runs it out of play. It's opening up here, which is what Furth don't want.
FURTH SUB: Ilir Azemi comes on for Park, who had been walking the red card tightrope since early on really.
CLOSE! Ballitsch thinks he's scored! He rose highest to meet a cross and thinks the ball is over the line but Furth just about keep it out thanks to the underside of the bar according to the officials. Kleine is then booked for the away side. Matthias Zimmermann came on for Nehrig also a couple of minutes before.
Esswein wastes a good Nuremberg possession with a shot from a long way out that bobbles wide. They're just starting to run out of time the hosts.
Furth are gifted a throw with a terrible pass from Ballitsch that goes straight out of play. Furth are back on the ball and they've looked a shade more comfortable in recent minutes.
Nuremberg won't come closer than that Ballitsch effort without scoring. In truth on the balance of this half they probably would deserve to be level. They have a chance now as Djurdjic gives away a free kick just outside the box.
Kiyotake wasted that particular effort by firing his free kick over and Furth edge another few minutes closer to a victory that will give them a lot of Bavarian pride.
The crowd are certainly not as loud as they were in the first half. There's a large section of Furth here, and that's where all the noise is coming from.
NUREMBERG SUB: Mike Frantz comes on for Simons as Nuremberg throw another striker at the cause.
It's become a bit scrappy now with less than 15 minutes to play. The passing is quite direct as Frantz does well to win a corner. The active Kiyotake comes across to take.
SAVE! Nilsson pokes the header towards goal. It doesn't have a great deal of power and Hesl shows off for the cameras by diving across to catch it. I think Nilsson was a bit surprised that it got to him and he didn't put any power behind it.
BOOKING: That's the eighth yellow of the day as Faulner fouls Baba as they left-back cut back and did him for skill.
Nuremberg carry on with plenty of possession as Ballitsch is stopped from a driving run by Prib. Sobiech comes on for Furth now with Djurdjic making way. That's their stall set out to defend, then.
CHANCE! Big chance for Frantz! Pekhart nods a cross into his path wide on the box, but despite having space he pulls his shot wide of the far post. He should have at least hit the target.
Nuremberg win a free kick in a dangerous spot to the right side of the box. This time it's Plattenhardt who takes but it's too close to Hesl in the Furth goal. The away side clear but it's straight back with Nuremberg as they come forward again with less than five minutes to grab the equaliser.
Another set piece comes in but once more it's met by a Furth head as Sobiech heads behind his own goal. Almost all 11 Furth players are in their own box now - it's desperate times. Kiyotake swings in another free kick and this time it's a home head that gets a slight touch but it's harmlessly wide. Another chance to work a shot on goal gone.
CLOSE! Nice effort from Mak, who toe-pokes towards goal from the edge of the box, but it was always going wide.
SAVE! Kiyotake goes for goal from the edge of the box, but Hesl keeps it out. Just two minutes of added time to go now!
BOOKING: That'll probably be the last card as Plattenhardt is booked late on.
Another late corner. Up comes Schafer!
FULL-TIME! Nuremberg 0-1 Greuther Furth
It's a famous victory for the bottom side Furth! They go over to their fans to celebrate. They'll surely still go down, but they have the bragging rights over Nuremberg for now.
Thanks for joining me tonight. Stick around on site for reaction and analysis of today's football. Goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
