diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.module.css b/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.module.css
index 030ae9c..c33e4cd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.module.css
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.module.css
@@ -341,3 +341,121 @@
   text-transform: uppercase;
   letter-spacing: 0.05em;
 }
+
+/* ── State-based card variants ──────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.card_open { /* default — no extra styling needed */ }
+
+.card_tipped {
+  border-left: 3px solid var(--success);
+}
+
+.card_live {
+  border-left: 3px solid var(--error);
+}
+
+.card_finished { /* glow classes already applied via JS */ }
+
+.card_missed {
+  opacity: 0.45;
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+/* Live pulsing dot */
+.liveDot {
+  width: 8px;
+  height: 8px;
+  background: var(--error);
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  display: inline-block;
+  margin-right: 6px;
+  vertical-align: middle;
+  animation: pulse 1.5s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+/* Score + live tip stacked */
+.scoreStack {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 2px;
+}
+
+.liveTipCompare {
+  font-size: 11px;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-weight: 600;
+  letter-spacing: 0.03em;
+}
+
+/* Points badge */
+.pointsBadge {
+  display: inline-block;
+  padding: 4px 10px;
+  border-radius: 12px;
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+}
+
+.pointsBadge_exact {
+  background: linear-gradient(135deg, var(--gold), #FFD700);
+  color: #1a1a1a;
+  animation: shimmer 2s ease-in-out;
+}
+
+.pointsBadge_tendency {
+  background: var(--success);
+  color: #1a1a1a;
+}
+
+.pointsBadge_wrong {
+  background: var(--text-muted);
+  color: var(--bg-deep);
+}
+
+/* Missed label */
+.missedLabel {
+  font-size: 0.75rem;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-style: italic;
+}
+
+/* Countdown (replaces badge when < 60 min) */
+.countdown {
+  color: var(--error);
+  font-weight: 700;
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+}
+
+.countdownUrgent {
+  animation: pulse 0.8s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+/* Tipped state: checkmark + score inline */
+.tipDisplay_score {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 6px;
+}
+
+/* Change button for tipped state */
+.changeBtn {
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  color: var(--primary);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+  text-decoration: underline;
+  padding: 0;
+}
+
+.changeBtn:hover {
+  color: var(--primary);
+  opacity: 0.75;
+}
+
+@keyframes shimmer {
+  0%   { box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(254, 174, 50, 0); }
+  50%  { box-shadow: 0 0 16px rgba(254, 174, 50, 0.5); }
+  100% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(254, 174, 50, 0); }
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.tsx
index 393eae0..135e63b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MatchCard.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Check, TrendingUp, X } from 'lucide-react';
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { Match } from '../api/client';
 import styles from './MatchCard.module.css';
 
@@ -7,6 +8,32 @@ interface Props {
   onTip: () => void;
 }
 
+type CardState = 'open' | 'tipped' | 'live' | 'finished' | 'missed';
+
+function getCardState(match: Match): CardState {
+  if (match.status === 'IN_PLAY' || match.status === 'PAUSED') return 'live';
+  if (match.status === 'FINISHED') {
+    return match.userTip ? 'finished' : 'missed';
+  }
+  // SCHEDULED or TIMED
+  return match.userTip ? 'tipped' : 'open';
+}
+
+function useCountdown(minutesUntilKickoff: number) {
+  const [remaining, setRemaining] = useState(minutesUntilKickoff);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (minutesUntilKickoff > 60) return; // only active for <1h
+    setRemaining(minutesUntilKickoff);
+    const interval = setInterval(() => {
+      setRemaining(r => Math.max(0, r - 1 / 60));
+    }, 1000);
+    return () => clearInterval(interval);
+  }, [minutesUntilKickoff]);
+
+  return remaining;
+}
+
 const STATUS_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   SCHEDULED: 'Geplant',
   TIMED: 'Terminiert',
@@ -45,10 +72,15 @@ function FlagBox({ crest, name }: { crest: string | null; name: string }) {
 }
 
 export default function MatchCard({ match, onTip }: Props) {
-  const isFinished = match.status === 'FINISHED';
-  const isLive = match.status === 'IN_PLAY' || match.status === 'PAUSED';
+  const state = getCardState(match);
+  const remaining = useCountdown(match.minutesUntilKickoff);
+  const remainingMins = Math.ceil(remaining);
+
+  const isFinished = state === 'finished' || state === 'missed';
+  const isLive = state === 'live';
   const hasTip = !!match.userTip;
   const points = match.userTip?.points ?? null;
+
   const resultClass =
     points === 3 ? styles.exact :
     points === 1 ? styles.tendency :
@@ -60,19 +92,29 @@ export default function MatchCard({ match, onTip }: Props) {
     isFinished && points === 0 ? styles.glowWrong : '';
 
   return (
-    <div className={`card ${styles.card} ${isLive ? styles.live : ''} ${glowClass}`}>
+    <div className={`card ${styles.card} ${styles[`card_${state}`]} ${isLive ? styles.live : ''} ${glowClass}`}>
 
       {/* Top row: Status / Kickoff / Badges */}
       <div className={styles.topRow}>
         <span className={`${styles.status} ${isLive ? styles.statusLive : ''}`}>
-          {isLive && '● '}{STATUS_LABELS[match.status] ?? match.status}
+          {isLive && <span className={styles.liveDot} />}
+          {STATUS_LABELS[match.status] ?? match.status}
         </span>
         {match.group && (
           <span className={styles.group}>
             {match.group.replace('GROUP_', 'Gruppe ')}
           </span>
         )}
-        {match.tippable && <CountdownBadge minutes={match.minutesUntilKickoff} />}
+        {/* Countdown only shown for open/tipped states */}
+        {(state === 'open' || state === 'tipped') && match.tippable && (
+          match.minutesUntilKickoff < 60 ? (
+            <span className={`${styles.countdown} ${remainingMins < 5 ? styles.countdownUrgent : ''}`}>
+              Noch {remainingMins} Min!
+            </span>
+          ) : (
+            <CountdownBadge minutes={match.minutesUntilKickoff} />
+          )
+        )}
       </div>
 
       {/* Teams + Score */}
@@ -86,9 +128,17 @@ export default function MatchCard({ match, onTip }: Props) {
         {/* Score / Kickoff time */}
         <div className={styles.scoreBox}>
           {isFinished || isLive ? (
-            <span className={styles.score}>
-              {match.score.home ?? '–'}&nbsp;:&nbsp;{match.score.away ?? '–'}
-            </span>
+            <div className={styles.scoreStack}>
+              <span className={styles.score}>
+                {match.score.home ?? '–'}&nbsp;:&nbsp;{match.score.away ?? '–'}
+              </span>
+              {/* For live: show user's tip next to score for comparison */}
+              {isLive && hasTip && (
+                <span className={styles.liveTipCompare}>
+                  Tipp: {match.userTip!.home}:{match.userTip!.away}
+                </span>
+              )}
+            </div>
           ) : (
             <div className={styles.kickoffCenter}>
               <span className={styles.kickoffCenterTime}>{formatKickoff(match.utcDate)}</span>
@@ -105,7 +155,26 @@ export default function MatchCard({ match, onTip }: Props) {
 
       {/* Tipp area — wird zum farbigen Banner wenn Punkte ausgewertet */}
       <div className={`${styles.tipRow} ${hasTip && points !== null ? `${styles.resultBanner} ${resultClass}` : ''}`}>
-        {hasTip ? (
+        {state === 'missed' ? (
+          /* ── Missed: no tip, match finished ── */
+          <span className={styles.missedLabel}>Nicht getippt</span>
+        ) : state === 'live' ? (
+          /* ── Live: no tip input, locked ── */
+          hasTip ? (
+            <div className={styles.tipDisplay}>
+              <div className={styles.tipLeft} />
+              <div className={styles.tipCenter}>
+                <span className={styles.tipLabel}>DEIN TIPP</span>
+                <span className={styles.tipScore}>
+                  {match.userTip!.home} : {match.userTip!.away}
+                </span>
+              </div>
+              <div className={styles.tipRight} />
+            </div>
+          ) : (
+            <span className={styles.noTip}>Kein Tipp abgegeben</span>
+          )
+        ) : hasTip ? (
           points !== null ? (
             /* ── Auswertungs-Banner ── */
             <div className={styles.tipDisplay}>
@@ -130,24 +199,30 @@ export default function MatchCard({ match, onTip }: Props) {
 
               {/* Rechts: Punkte */}
               <div className={styles.tipRight}>
-                <span className={styles.resultPoints}>
+                <span className={`${styles.pointsBadge} ${
+                  points === 3 ? styles.pointsBadge_exact :
+                  points === 1 ? styles.pointsBadge_tendency :
+                  styles.pointsBadge_wrong
+                }`}>
                   {points === 0 ? '0 Pkt.' : `+${points} Pkt.`}
                 </span>
               </div>
             </div>
           ) : (
-            /* ── Tipp vorhanden, noch nicht ausgewertet ── */
+            /* ── Tipp vorhanden, noch nicht ausgewertet (tipped state) ── */
             <div className={styles.tipDisplay}>
               <div className={styles.tipLeft}>
                 {match.tippable && (
-                  <button className={styles.editBtn} onClick={onTip}>Ändern</button>
+                  <button className={styles.changeBtn} onClick={onTip}>Ändern</button>
                 )}
               </div>
               <div className={styles.tipCenter}>
-                {/* Label nur zeigen wenn kein Ändern-Button da ist, sonst fluchtet der Button nicht */}
                 {!match.tippable && <span className={styles.tipLabel}>DEIN TIPP</span>}
-                <span className={styles.tipScore}>
-                  {match.userTip!.home} : {match.userTip!.away}
+                <span className={styles.tipDisplay_score}>
+                  <Check size={13} strokeWidth={3} style={{ color: 'var(--success)', flexShrink: 0 }} />
+                  <span className={styles.tipScore}>
+                    {match.userTip!.home} : {match.userTip!.away}
+                  </span>
                 </span>
               </div>
               <div className={styles.tipRight} />