Analysis: Moral & Maglica

Maglica’s moment. Unsurprisingly, Matej Maglica was a sought-after player after the 2-1 win against Eintracht Braunschweig. And the tall defender, with a broad smile, took all media representatives back to the decisive moment: „I was hoping I’d be allowed to shoot.“ Besides the Croatian, Fabian Nürnberger and Killian Corredor would certainly have been considered as free-kick takers, but ultimately, the motto was: „Toughness over precision.“

„I’m known for having a powerful shot,“ Maglica explained, adding: „I took the ball and my goal was to score. And that worked.“ And how. The left-footer hammered the ball into the net at a whopping 132 kilometers per hour.

The ensuing celebration encompassed the entire Lilies‘ matchday squad. Substitutes stormed onto the field, and players who had already been substituted returned to it. On the one hand, of course, out of joy at the opening goal. But on the other hand, because it was Maglica who scored the goal. „He’s a great guy, a great player, and we’re all happy for him,“ Nürnberger summarised after the game: „The whole team was extremely happy for him.“

The energy after the break. „We had problems in the first half, but after the break, we brought a different energy to the pitch. And that’s what it was all about today: energy, energy, energy.“ With these words, Marcel Schuhen summed up the match against Eintracht Braunschweig on the Sky microphone. Florian Kohfeldt had already analysed their opponents at the pre-match press conference: „They play very intensely, very courageously, and very emotionally.“

And that’s exactly how the Lions performed at the Merck Stadium. Numerous duels, interruptions in play, and a high level of intensity characterised the game, and SV 98 needed a while to adjust to this energy level. But after a few minutes of the second half, the Lilies were fully engaged, winning numerous duels with the support of the loud crowd, and were themselves aggressive, venomous, and „determined“ in their attacks, as Fabian Nürnberger summarised.

Kohfeldt: „I told the team during the break: We’re not having our best day today, but we have to find a way to win the game. And they did it.“

In addition to the goals from Isac Lidberg and Maglica, the energy level and the associated morale after the break also played a significant role in the success.

A sense of the moment. „We have to develop an awareness of which points are decisive in a game.“ This sentence dates back to March 2025. Florian Kohfeldt uttered it after the narrow away defeat at 1. FC Köln. Other statements by the head coach from this period also point in a similar direction. In Ulm, Kohfeldt spoke of how his team had to „feel the moments,“ meaning understand at which phases and moments a game could tip in one direction or the other.

The Lilies appear to have made significant progress in this regard this season. Killian Corredor had this feeling in Nürnberg, and the home game against Braunschweig even offered a whole series of examples for this theory. The 0-1 deficit may have briefly thrown the Lilies off their stride, but defensively the South Hesse team were so solid that they always had a chance to turn things around. Isac Lidberg once again demonstrated his goal-scoring instinct in the 1-1 draw, sensing the right moment to reward himself with the goal. The Swede was also on hand in one of the few moments of inattention on Braunschweig’s side, forcing the sending off and the free kick, which Maglica was able to use to score the winner. This was also because Kohfeldt recognised that the free kick position favored Maglica more than one of the team’s technical players.

The goal conceded. Unfortunately, it’s part of every goalkeeper’s job description that a small mistake usually results in a goal conceded. „It was my mistake, I told the lads that at halftime. I think it’s important to admit a mistake,“ Marcel Schuhen admitted immediately after the final whistle on SKY in his usual honest manner, lauding the entire team’s „top-notch reaction“ after the break.

Mehmet Aydin’s shot for Braunschweig could certainly have been prevented, but the Lilien captain took the lead here as well, taking responsibility for the goal. „That’s fitting for Schuh,“ Kohfelt summarised, adding: „He speaks very clearly about the things he doesn’t like. And he also says very clearly when he didn’t handle something optimally.“

The goal conceded in the 22nd minute threw the Lilien off their stride somewhat, and Kohfeldt observed a „slight uncertainty“ among his team immediately afterward, which led us to our second not-so-successful point…

…A period of impatience: It speaks for the Lilies‘ desire to reverse deficits like yesterday’s 0-1 as quickly as possible. However, on Saturday afternoon, this determination came at the expense of precision and determination in the period between 0-1 and halftime. As a result, the Lilies lost a bit of control of the game, making a few misplaced passes, and getting bogged down in one-on-one duels. On the positive side: After analysing their performance during the break and making a few minor adjustments, the South Hesse team regained control and found their way to victory through ball control, patience, and better decision-making.