SV Darmstadt 98 is getting closer to promotion to the Bundesliga. On Easter Sunday (April 9th, 2023) the leaders of the second division won 2:1 (1:1) against SC Paderborn.
Matthias Bader (35th minute) and Braydon Manu (59th) scored the goals for the Hessians, Florent Muslija (44th) equalized in the meantime.
Seven points ahead of Heidenheim
The Lilies are now seven points ahead of third-placed 1. FC Heidenheim, who lost 1-0 to FC St. Pauli on Saturday. Paderborn’s gap to Heidenheim and thus the promotion relegation rank is still eight points. That should be too much for coach Lukas Kwasniok’s team to overtake the remaining seven matchdays.
The game started quite entertaining in front of about 17,000 spectators at Böllenfalltor, but without clear chances to score. The “Lilien” recorded five shots on goal in the first half hour, but none of them checked the Paderborn keeper Jannik Huth.
Bader with an ingenious lifter – maybe
Only Matthias Bader can answer whether the first shot that came on target was really on target. The right midfielder may have also planned a cross. In the end it shouldn’t matter to him, but if the intention was to put the ball in the net over Huth from the inside right, then it was brilliant.
The fact was: Darmstadt took a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute and about two minutes later it could have been 2-0, but Huth saved Phillip Tietz’s shot with his right foot.
Muslija equalizes with a penalty
However, East Westphalia equalized before the break. Florent Muslija converted a penalty after Marvin Mehlem kicked Sirlord Conteh down in the penalty area (44′).
Protest against DFL plan
At the beginning of the second half, as in many other stadiums, fans protested against the German Football League (DFL) and their plan to sell media rights to an investor. Darmstadt President Rüdiger Fritsch is a member of the DFL Supervisory Board and a supporter of the plan.
The guests initially drew more attention to themselves on the pitch, including a long-range shot from Muslija (51′). But then coach Torsten Lieberknecht’s team had a great opportunity to take the lead again. After a nice cross from Mehlem, three “lilies” got in each other’s way in the six-yard box (55′).
Manu accepts the gift
Paderborn quickly gave the leader another good opportunity. Ron Schallenberg played a back pass and missed Braydon Manu. The striker picked up the ball, rounded Huth and scored through the legs of a defender to make it 2-1 (59th).
SC Paderborn then pressed for the equaliser, but the table leaders’ defense was always alert. It only became dangerous again after a corner kick, but Schallenberg’s shot flew over the goal.
Darmstadt celebrated their fourth win and tenth point from the past four games and came a step closer to promotion.
Darmstadt in Düsseldorf, Paderborn against Rostock
On the 28th matchday, SV Darmstadt 98 will be visiting Fortuna Düsseldorf on Sunday (April 16, 2023) from 1.30 p.m. Paderborn welcomes FC Hansa Rostock the day before (1 p.m.).
