The second division of Germany, the 2. Bundesliga, seems to be one of those leagues that no one really cares about outside of Germany. But after a few weekend incidents, maybe we should be watching it more.
The first incident was a substitute giving up a penalty. You read that right: A substitute for Holstein Kiel gave up a penalty.
Michael Eberwein, who was warming up behind the goal, thought he was stopping the ball for his goalkeeper. What he didn't know was that the ball hadn't crossed the end line yet; the ball was still in play. The VAR caught it and to Kiel's dismay, gave Vfl Bochum the penalty.
Kiel ended up winning the game 2-1, but what a way to momentarily equalize!
Later in the day, Karlsruher and Hannover tied 3-3, but the match ended in a very strange way.
Hannover scored what had to be the match-winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time — all they had to do was see the rest of the game out and they could move as high as sixth in the 2. Bundesliga.
But Hannover's Ron-Robert Zieler wanted to make things interesting: The former Manchester United keeper punched a man in the nuts.
Was he going for the ball? [Insert balls joke here]. Maybe, but man, he sure went for some power on the punch. Karlsruher scored the equalizer off the ensuing penalty.
Moral of the story? We should start paying attention to the 2. Bundesliga.