Darmstadt 98 is still in the running for promotion to 2nd division. Against Hannover there is a well-deserved victory for the majority.
Patric Pfeiffer (l) of Hanover 96Darmstadt and Hendrik Weydandt of Hanover fight for the ball.
(© Uwe Anspach / dpa)
Darmstadt (dpa / lhe) – – SV Darmstadt 98 have extended their winning streak to 16 unbeaten games and remain at the top of the rankings in the second Bundesliga even after Matchday 15. The South Hessian side celebrated a 1-0 (0-0) win over Hannover 96 on Friday night and initially extended their 32-point lead over Hamburger SV to four points. In front of 15,475 spectators, Marvin Mehlem scored the acclaimed winning goal for Lilien in the 62nd minute.
“It’s a lot of fun right now. We play football well and we’re at the top of the table,” Mehlem said. Technician Torsten Lieberknecht was also satisfied. “It was a well deserved victory. We were well employed and had a lot of educational qualifications,” summed up the 49-year-old.
Of course, the fact that the visitors from Lower Saxony had to play outnumbered in the 30th minute played into the hands of the hosts. Phil Neumann had blocked a Jannik Müller shot with his hand just before the goal line in the style of a goalkeeper and saw the red card for preventing a clear scoring chance according to video evidence. However, Tobias Kempe missed the due penalty, which was denied by Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler.
At the start of the match, both teams had delivered a balanced duel. Darmstadt’s first chance was wasted by Oscar Vilhelmsson, who only headed the side net. On the other hand, Havard Nielsen failed after a fine individual performance by Darmstadt goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen. Referee Benjamin Cortus refused to acknowledge Kempe’s goal from distance because Phillip Tietz was offside.
Even after the substitution, Darmstadt remained dominant and rewarded himself with the advantage of Mehlem, who hit the left corner with a well-placed shot from 24 meters. “I was a little surprised at how hard he threw, because the ball slipped a bit on my feet,” said the scorer, describing the scene.
After that, Müller wasted more first-class chances with a shot from the side of the penalty area, which Zieler brilliantly blocked, and Tietz, who threw the ball over Zieler’s goal after a Jannik Dehm mistake, just entered as a substitute. So she was thrilled until the end, even though the Darmstadt victory was no longer in serious danger.
