Saturday, December 11th, 2021
Brothers just miss each other
96 and 98 are the second division winning numbers
In the 2nd Bundesliga, the first half of the season is already over and the autumn champions have long been determined. A narrow field of pursuers forms behind it. SV Darmstadt 98 benefits twice from a late hit. In the basement, FC Ingolstadt is now even worse after the change of coach.
FC Ingolstadt – Hannover 96 1: 2 (1: 2)
Rüdiger Rehm was also the third coach at FC Ingolstadt to not be able to initiate a change straight away this season. The knocked-down bottom of the table lost in the 2nd Bundesliga without spectators in the home sports park against Hannover 96 with 1: 2 (1: 2). After only seven points in the first half of the season, Rehm faces an almost impossible task in the relegation battle. Not so Hanover: Under interim boss Christoph Dabrowski there was the next victory a week after his debut success against Hamburger SV.
Maximilian Beier (9th minute) and Linton Maina (38th) scored the goals for the somewhat stronger Lower Saxony, who improved to 20 points. Marcel Gaus scored in a game marked by fighting with a volley to make it 1-1 (29th). In Rehm’s debut game, the Ingolstadt team showed the known shortcomings. The offensive is harmless – and the goals conceded are too easy. The agile Japanese Sei Muroya was able to prepare both goals of the guests in the same form with crosses from the right side. The inadequate offensive efforts of the FCI fizzled out after the break. Attacker Maximlilan Beister was offside at his goal (62nd).
Holstein Kiel – SV Sandhausen 2: 2 (1: 1)
Holstein Kiel and SV Sandhausen are stuck deep in the relegation battle. Both teams separated at the end of the first half with 2: 2 (1: 1). The draw didn’t help either team. The SV Sandhausen remained on the penultimate place in the table. The Kiel missed it to put a bigger distance to the danger zone and are only four points ahead of the team of coach Alois Schwartz. Benedikt Pichler (19th) put Kiel in the front against the defensive guests. Cebio Soukou (26th) and Aleksandr Zhirov (72nd) initially made the turn with their goals. Steven Skrzybski (83rd) still gave Holstein the draw.
In front of 7879 spectators, the Kielers were decisive in the game. The Austrian Pichler rewarded the Holstein efforts with his fifth goal of the season. Only then did the guests play along and quickly succeeded with Soukou’s first shot on goal. The Kielers remained superior despite the equalization, but made too little of it. Also in the second half the Kiel overran the sand houses cover. Above all, Fabian Reese stood out and, among other things, narrowly missed the goal in the 58th minute. But with the second shot in the game, SV Sandhausen took the lead again. First Erik Zenga hit the post, then the ball reached Zhirov, who executed. But Holstein did not give up and thanks to Skrzybski saved a well-deserved point.
SC Paderborn – SV Darmstadt 98 0: 1 (0: 0)
The surprise team of SV Darmstadt 98 is on a direct promotion position after the first half of the season. Due to a late goal by Patrick Pfeiffer (81st), the Südhessen won the top game at SC Paderborn 1-0 (0-0) and put pressure on leaders FC St. Pauli. In addition, the lilies can no longer be ousted from second place in the Sunday games. The East Westphalia are now five points behind in fifth and could slip to seventh on Sunday.
Bitter for the guests, however, that Luca Pfeiffer, with twelve goals third in the goalscorer list, had to be replaced shortly after the break after a press blow. Disappointment also with Darmstadt’s Marvin Mehlem and his brother Marcel: The latter was in the starting line-up for Paderborn, but was replaced in the 70th minute. His brother didn’t come out onto the field until four minutes later. The first direct duel between the two in a competitive game was therefore canceled.
Relegated FC Schalke 04 had already celebrated important victories on Friday with a 4-1 win against 1. FC Nürnberg and Werder Bremen with a 3-2 win at Jahn Regensburg. The relegation place three after half the season will either be Schalke (29 points), 1. FC Heidenheim (27, on Sunday in Karlsruhe) or Hamburger SV (26, against Rostock).