Stuttgart and Werder drew while Darmstadt won the Derby

Stuttgart 1-1 Werder Bremen
(Rupp 33', Ujah 71')

Matchday 15 is usually too early for a crucial relegation match, but this result could prove to be a valuable one. The two worst defenses in the Bundesliga were on display, and each side came out of the gate doing their best not to be the first to concede.

Stuttgart had the early initiative, pushing to give interim manager Jürgen Krammy a victory in his home debut. The ball finally bounced their way after the half-hour mark, Filip Kostic slapping the ball in from the goal line before Lukas Rupp exploded an unsaveable shot at the far post. It was Stuttgart's first lead since the start of November and it lasted into the second half.

Anthony Ujah had the most Bundesliga goals from either side going in, and his presence in attack proved why. He frequently found his way into the penalty area, and even had a penalty shout in the first half after Timo Baumgartl whacked him in his shin. Under pressure for a point, Werder used Ujah to press forward any time they had the chance. The Nigerian forward came to the rescue, finishing off a ricocheted Clemens Fritz shot for the equalizer.

Stuttgart did not want to settle for a draw at home, but Timo Werner was denied a winning goal after a terrific save from Felix Wiedwald. A point still got Stuttgart off the bottom, popping up to 17th over Hoffenheim. Werder vaulted out of the relegation zone themselves as they push Augsburg back torwads the bottom.

Frankfurt 0-1 Darmstadt
(Sulu 30')

The match was the first Brisantes Hessen-Derby since 1982, and the two clubs began where they left off. An early altercation between Haris Seferovic and Aytac Sulu set the tone for a scrappy affair.

Sulu had the final word, though, scoring the only goal of the game with a header from a Tobias Kempe set-piece. The goal was Sulu's fourth in the Bundesliga, equaling the tally he had last season in the 2. Bundesliga.

In the face of defeat, Frankfurt started to lose their composure. Marc Stendera, Carlos Zambrano and Marco Russ all saw yellow in the second half, suspending them for Frankfurt's match against Borussia Dortmund next weekend. The Frankfurt fans were on edge as well, lighting the Darmstadt banners on fire late in the match.

Stefan Aigner did his best to equalize the contest, but his opportunities to salvage a point met the gloves of Christian Mathenia every time. Frankfurt have now lost three straight matches and are only a point off of the relegation zone, a run of form that could see Armin Veh lose his post with the club yet again.