Flares fly and players fight as Wolfsburg moves closer to relegation with Bundesliga loss to Hamburg

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BERLIN (AP) — Wolfsburg moved a step closer to Bundesliga relegation on Saturday with an ill-tempered 2-1 loss at home to Hamburger SV that ended with rival players fighting in an on-field melee.

Masked Wolfsburg fans threw flares on the pitch sending black smoke billowing behind one of the goals to illustrate their frustrations with the team’s predicament after its eighth game without a win left it 17th in the 18-team division.

Both teams’ substitutes and team officials rushed onto the field after the final whistle with Wolfsburg midfielder Maximilian Arnold seemingly reacting angrily after being provoked by Hamburg rivals.

Referee Florian Exner's whistles failed to stop the melee. He showed Wolfsburg reserve goalkeeper Marius Müller a red card.

“It's not nice to be in the locker room now,” Arnold said. “It's absolutely not a good time. Everyone at Wolfsburg is completely frustrated. We imagined it differently today. We put everything into it, but luck isn't on our side at the moment.”

Christian Eriksen scored a penalty for Wolfsburg but his team conceded two and Hamburg converted both to move nine points above the home team and in good position to survive its first season back in the top division.

It’s likely to have been Daniel Bauer’s last game as Wolfsburg coach with both Dieter Hecking and Felix Magath touted with possible returns to lead the Volkswagen-backed club to safety. Bauer’s successor would be the team’s third coach of the season.

Wolfsburg fans displayed a banner before the game saying it was the last chance for the team, and that they were behind the players. Afterward, there was a banner that said, “Chance wasted, support withdrawn.”

Nine rounds remain after this weekend.

“We have nine games left, we'll give them our all, and I hope from next week they go in a new direction,” Arnold said. “We will only manage it together. I understand the frustration and disappointment. ... I don’t think anyone will sleep tonight because it hurts so much. Still, you have to get up again tomorrow. That’s life, you always get new chances.”

Wolfsburg next faces third-place Hoffenheim, then relegation-rival Werder Bremen, and Bayer Leverkusen.

Alexander Prass scored twice and Hoffenheim defeated last-place Heidenheim 4-2 away to consolidate third.

Leverkusen was on course to move fourth – the last place for Champions League qualification – when it was leading 3-2 against Freiburg and qualification rivals Stuttgart and Leipzig were both losing.

Then Matthias Ginter scored late for Freiburg to draw 3-3, Stuttgart drew 2-2 in Mainz, and Yan Diomande led Leipzig to a 2-1 home win over Augsburg.

Stuttgart stayed fourth with 47 points, ahead of Leipzig on goal difference, with Leverkusen three points behind in sixth.

Second-place Borussia Dortmund was playing in Cologne later.

Bayern Munich has a 14-point lead after a 4-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday.

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