Darmstadt frustrate ten-man Mainz; Hamburg tops Hertha
Darmstadt lived up to their reputation as one of the Bundesliga's best sides away from home as they frustrated 10-man Mainz to clinch another precious point in their battle to beat the drop with a goalless stalemate.
Dirk Schuster's men are behind only Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in terms of results away from home and they showed how difficult they are to break down with a solid defensive display.
Pablo De Blasis missed Mainz' best chances, while Sandro Wagner had a rare sight of goal for Darmstadt, who were lent a hand by Mainz defender Giulio Donati when he earned a red card in the second half.
The draw dents Mainz's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season, although they remain three-points clear of Wolfsburg in the race for Europa League football.
Darmstadt pulled a further point ahead of the bottom three, with two points now separating them from the relegation play-off berth.
Hamburg 2-0 Hertha Berlin
Hertha Berlin's Champions League aspirations suffered a setback as they lost 2-0 in Hamburg on Sunday.
Nicolai Muller scored both goals for Bruno Labbadia's men, who now have a seven-point advantage over the Bundesliga's bottom three.
The hosts were good value for their win at the Volksparkstadion, wasting numerous chances before Muller beat Rune Almenning Jarstein in the 58th minute. The former Mainz winger added a second just over a quarter of an hour later.
Hertha remain in third, despite the defeat, although they are now just a point ahead of fourth-placed Schalke, who won 3-1 at Cologne on Saturday.
