Lilies claim table top
Darmstadt ends the mini-crisis against FCK
03/18/2023 10:54 p.m
Darmstadt 98 remains leader of the 2nd Bundesliga. After three games without a win, the Lilies celebrate a sense of achievement against Kaiserslautern. For the Red Devils, the promotion race should be over.
After three games without a win, SV Darmstadt celebrated a sense of achievement again and defended their lead in the table on the 25th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The lilies defeated 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2-0 (2-0) in the evening. The Swiss-Serbian winter signing Filip Stojilkovic shone with two goals in the 36th and 43rd minute.
In front of 17,650 spectators at the sold-out Böllenfalltor, FCK coach Dirk Schuster, who once marched from the 3rd to the 1st league with Darmstadt, experienced a bitter evening at his old place of work. The Südhessen are now two points ahead of 1. FC Heidenheim and three ahead of Hamburger SV. For Kaiserslautern, the dream of promotion should have ended. The Red Devils are already ten points behind HSV, after the newly promoted team only took four points from the last six games.
Coach Torsten Lieberknecht’s team started stormy as usual. A Phillip Tietz header didn’t cause any problems for visiting goalkeeper Andreas Luthe (11′). FCK were unlucky to concede their first goal, as Stojilkovic’s header was deflected by Hendrick Zuck. In addition, Marlon Ritter headed just wide of the Darmstadt goal in the 24th minute. After a long pass from Tietz, Stojilkovic made it 2-0 just before the break.
After the change Darmstadt stayed on the trigger. Tietz almost made it 3-0 immediately after the change. Nevertheless, the hosts no longer had to fear for victory against harmless Lauterer. Fabio Torsiello hit the post for the lilies in stoppage time. Previously, Braydon Manu missed in a promising position in the 64th minute.