Stuttgart rescues 3-3 draw as Bundesliga relegation scrap impacts Champions League race

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BERLIN (AP) — Germany forward Deniz Undav scored late to salvage a 3-3 draw for Stuttgart at last-place Heidenheim as the Bundesliga’s relegation scrap and race for Champions League qualification converged on Sunday.

Stuttgart stayed fourth in the last qualification spot for Europe’s premier club competition, but it missed the chance to move four points above fifth-place Leipzig, held 2-2 by Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Heidenheim almost scored a late winner in stoppage time that would have narrowed the gap on second-last Werder Bremen to just three points before their clash in Bremen next weekend. Adam Kölle headed just wide in stoppage time for Heidenheim.

Chris Führich fired Stuttgart into an early lead before Eren Dinkci replied for Heidenheim.

Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirović thought he had made it 2-1 on a counterattack but the goal was ruled out and a penalty awarded to Heidenheim after a VAR check found Maximilian Mittelstädt had fouled Dinkci in the area at the other end.

Arijon Ibrahimović converted Heidenheim’s penalty to make it 2-1 to the home team instead.

Mittelstädt atoned for conceding the spot kick by converting another penalty for 2-2 in the 44th.

Demirović had another goal ruled out through VAR for offside in the second half, and Heidenheim substitute Sirlord Conteh scored what he hoped was the winner in the 82nd after Ibrahimović’s initial effort was saved.

But Undav, also a substitute, equalized for Stuttgart in the 88th and almost got another in stoppage time when he was thwarted by Diant Ramaj in the Heidenheim goal.

St. Pauli boosted its chances of survival with a 2-1 home win over relegation rival Bremen that lifted the Hamburg-based club above the visitors into the relegation playoff spot.

Japan midfielder Joel Chima Fujita scored what proved to be the winner with a low shot inside the far corner in the 70th, minutes after Jovan Milošević had drawn the visitors level.

Bremen's third straight defeat under new coach Daniel Thioune stretched the team’s winless run to 13 games.

St. Pauli celebrated its back-to-back wins at home after surprising Stuttgart 2-1 in the 21st round.

Matthias Ginter and Igor Matanović scored as Freiburg beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 and moved to seventh.

Freiburg stretched its winning streak at home to five games across all competitions, while Gladbach’s winless run stretched to seven matches.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer