2. Bundesliga: Bilbija nets four as Paderborn edge seven-goal thriller against Magdeburg

2. Bundesliga: Bilbija nets four as Paderborn edge seven-goal thriller against Magdeburg

Filip Bilbija delivered one of the standout individual performances of the season, scoring all four goals for the hosts to guide them past a determined Magdeburg side in a relentless, end-to-end contest.

The action got underway at a frantic pace, with Paderborn opening the scoring after 19 minutes. A poorly cleared free-kick fell kindly to Bilbija, who reacted quickest to fire home from close range and register his first of the afternoon.

Magdeburg responded swiftly. Just six minutes later, Mateusz Żukowski surged down the left before cutting the ball back for Lubambo Musonda, who calmly slotted past the wrong-footed Dennis Seimen to make it 1-1.

The hosts wasted little time in restoring their lead. Four minutes later, Calvin Brackelmann’s corner was nodded goalwards by Mika Baur, and Bilbija was on hand to apply the finishing touch, diverting the ball beyond Dominik Reimann to make it 2-1 before the half-hour mark.

Yet Magdeburg refused to back down. In the 37th minute, Tjark Scheller lost possession in a dangerous area, allowing Żukowski to pounce and drive a low effort into the bottom corner, bringing the visitors level once again at 2-2.

Just when the tempo seemed set to dip before the break, Paderborn struck again. Raphael Obermair beat Herbert Bockhorn with a clever nutmeg before delivering an inviting cross, which Bilbija met with a composed header to complete his hat-trick and give his side a 3-2 lead at half-time following a breathless first half.

Magdeburg continued to show impressive resilience after the restart and, 11 minutes into the second half, they drew level for a third time. Baris Atik’s delivery from the left found Laurin Ulrich, whose close-range volley, aided by a deflection, found the back of the net to make it 3-3.

With both sides continuing to trade blows, the outcome remained impossible to predict. However, with 12 minutes remaining, Bilbija produced the decisive moment. Picking up possession in midfield, he drove forward before unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the area that beat Reimann and sealed his fourth goal of the game, putting Paderborn 4-3 ahead.

There would be no further twists in a remarkable contest, as Paderborn held their nerve through the closing stages to secure a memorable victory in one of the games of the season, while going four points clear of third place.