No win in 22 games
Darmstadt horror series leads inexorably to relegation
April 14, 2024, 5:39 p.m
Darmstadt 98 will have to leave the Bundesliga after just one year. There is no longer any reasonable doubt about this after the 29th matchday at the latest. The promoted team also loses against Freiburg.
The return to the 2nd Bundesliga is getting closer and closer for SV Darmstadt 98. The Hessians lost 0-1 (0-1) at home against SC Freiburg on Sunday and can therefore be relegated from the upper house early next weekend. Ritsu Doan scored the winning goal for Breisgauer in front of 17,810 spectators at the Böllenfalltor (36th minute).
While the Darmstadt team, as bottom of the table, are twelve points behind the relegation zone with five remaining Bundesliga matchdays, coach Christian Streich’s team underlined its European Cup ambitions. After the 29th matchday, the sports club is eighth in the table, level on points with seventh-placed FC Augsburg.
“An even greater miracle” will not happen
Even before the encounter, Darmstadt’s coach Torsten Lieberknecht no longer really believed in staying in the league. “We have a healthy realism. The great miracle we needed has become even greater.” The Lilies have already announced important decisions for the coming season, regardless of league affiliation.
On Monday the club announced that Paul Fernie would take over as sporting director. Fernie previously worked for second division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden. On the match day itself, the club informed about the extension of the contract with the main and jersey sponsor Haix for another two years until the summer of 2026.
Lieberknecht’s team started well against Freiburg. Both teams felt each other out in the early stages. There was no action worth mentioning for almost half an hour. In the 27th minute, the Darmstadt team had their first good opportunity through striker Aaron Seydel. After Freiburg’s Manuel Gulde and Lukas Kübler collided in their own half, Darmstadt’s Oscar Vilhelmsson suddenly found himself with a lot of space.
However, Seydel was unable to use his pass because he was prevented from shooting by Doan at the last moment. On the other hand, Michael Gregoritsch missed the goal from close range but at a tight angle (33′).
Descent is imminent
Doan did better, hitting the left corner of the goal after a one-two with Gregoritsch from the edge of the penalty area. The Darmstadt team had to shake themselves up briefly, but then had a great chance to equalize shortly before half-time. After Freiburg’s Maximilian Eggestein lost the ball, captain Fabian Holland was denied by SC goalkeeper Noah Atubolu (43′). It would have been Holland’s first Bundesliga goal in three seasons for the Lilies.
After smoke bombs were set off in the visitors’ block at the start of the second half, the ball rested for a short time. Afterwards, the people of Darmstadt initially remained lucky and harmless. In the event of a defeat at 1. FC Köln next Saturday (3.30 p.m./Sky and in the live ticker on ntv.de) Darmstadt’s relegation would be sealed prematurely.