Darmstadt got an early cold shower in the freezing cold of the Olympic Stadium: In the 2nd minute, the home side won the ball in the opposition’s half and quickly countered. Winkler’s cross found Reese, who beat Schuhen. Hertha continued to press: Reese tried his luck twice in the 9th and 12th minutes, but the Darmstadt captain was equal to the task each time. After 15 minutes, however, the ball was in the net again, and once more the goal stemmed from a turnover by the visitors. Eitschberger intercepted the ball, cut inside, and finished to make it 2-0.
The visitors recovered somewhat after that, but the hosts remained the more assertive team overall. After half an hour, Darmstadt were fortunate not to have conceded another goal: Schuhen cleared a Reese cross, but the ball rebounded to Cuisance, who narrowly missed the target from a central position. Almost out of nowhere, the Lilies rekindled their hopes of getting something out of the game at the Olympic Stadium: Klemens fouled Marseiler in the penalty area, and Hornby easily converted the resulting penalty, six minutes before the interval. Darmstadt then enjoyed their best spell of the game and nearly equalised in stoppage time. Lidberg’s low cross found Nürnberger, whose first shot was blocked and his second attempt was cleared for a corner. So, at the half time whistle, the Lilies deservedly went in behind.
The visitors carried their momentum into the second half, applying considerable pressure, particularly down Marseiler’s left flank. Hertha didn’t shy away from the challenge either, resulting in an entertaining match. After 59 minutes, Darmstadt came close to equalising, with Ernst just managing to tip Maglica’s header over the bar. The 2-2 equaliser seemed increasingly likely, and in the 62nd minute, it arrived: Lopez’s cross found Hornby in the centre, who bundled the ball over the line from close range. A brace for the striker!
In the 70th minute, the visitors had a man advantage: Marseiler’s solo run down the pitch was brought down by Kownacki’s tackle, and referee Lechner immediately brandished the red card. The game almost turned completely around after that, but Lidberg fired the ball against the underside of the crossbar from point-blank range with 13 minutes remaining. A lead would certainly have been deserved by then. From then on, a few fouls crept in during midfield and the game lost some of its pace. Hertha had one last chance in stoppage time, but Schuhen held onto the ball. Thus, Darmstadt return to southern Hesse with a point after trailing 2-0.
