Facts & Figures: The top facts about the Münster game

Despite a win on Sunday, SC Preußen Münster’s relegation could be sealed, depending on how Düsseldorf, Fürth, and Braunschweig perform. Nevertheless, if Münster wants to keep their hopes of staying up alive, Alois Schwartz’s team desperately needs three points against SV Darmstadt 98. However, Preußen Münster has now gone eight games without a win (three draws, five losses). Darmstadt, too, is desperate for a victory. In their last seven matches, they have drawn three times and suffered four defeats.

One reason why the Westphalians are struggling this season is their attack. Currently, only two teams in the second division have scored fewer goals than Preußen Münster (37). Their expected goals (xG) of 41.03 and just 381 shots on goal – only Fürth has fewer – further highlight their difficulties in attack. On average, only one in eleven shots finds the back of the net.

In contrast, Darmstadt 98 impresses with their clinical finishing. Florian Kohfeldt’s team needs an average of just eight shots to put the ball in the back of the net – the best record in the league.

Set pieces are one reason why the two teams are so far apart in the league table. Darmstadt have already scored 19 times from set pieces. Only Bielefeld and Paderborn have scored more, with 21 goals each. Only Karlsruhe (KSC) are on par with Darmstadt in free kicks (six goals), while Darmstadt lead the league with ten goals from corners. Paderborn, on the other hand, have only scored once from a free kick and twice from a corner. Münster have only converted seven set pieces into goals so far.

Marcel Schuhen has conceded 42 goals this season. This gives Darmstadt an above-average defence, as the league average is 47 goals conceded. However, Darmstadt’s back line has been under constant pressure: the team from southern Hesse has allowed a total of 482 shots on goal, with only two teams recording more. This results in an expected goals (xG) of 52.66 against them.

Münster has allowed fewer shots (429), but their opponents have an expected goals (xG) of 59.41 against them. Preußen Münster has already conceded 57 goals.

In this strong and competitive second division, last place by no means implies that Schwartz’s team lacks quality. Münster completes the second-most passes in the league with 14,601, boasting a pass completion rate of 84 percent, making them the second most accurate passer after Hannover. They primarily rely on short combinations rather than long balls. SV Darmstadt 98, on the other hand, played the most long balls in the league with 1,479.

Both the Westphalians and the South Hessians concede a number of crosses. Münster has the most crosses against them with 386, followed by Darmstadt with 373. However, in front of goal, SCP is significantly more dangerous than Darmstadt. The bottom-of-the-table side has conceded twelve goals this way, only Paderborn has more (13). Darmstadt, on the other hand, has only conceded six goals from crosses. Only Kiel and Bielefeld have a better record, with four each.

Aleksandar Vukotic received his fifth yellow card in the last match and is therefore unavailable.