Facts & Stats: The top facts about the Magdeburg game

After the first eight matchdays, 1. FC Magdeburg had only three points to their name. But in the second half of the first half of the season, the East German side showed a significant improvement in performance – starting with the goalless draw at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, where head coach Petrik Sander made his debut for FCM. They finished the first half of the season in 15th place with 17 points.

However, the second half of the season began in Magdeburg much like the first. Even though they have now collected six points after eight matchdays, they currently sit at the bottom of the table. Now the objective is clear: to make another final push, just like in the first half of the season, to reach safety. They plan to start this against Darmstadt once again…

The fact that 1. FC Magdeburg is at the bottom of the table isn’t due to a lack of scoring opportunities. On the contrary: with 418 shots on goal, they fired the most shots in the 2. Bundesliga.

What they lack, however, is that crucial bit of luck in front of goal. Only one in 13 shots finds the back of the net. In total, they’ve scored 35 goals. While this is an average figure for the league, the conversion rate could be higher given the number of chances they created. Darmstadt, on the other hand, may have fewer shots (339), but they convert one in seven of them, scoring 47 goals.

While SV 98 continued their seven-game winning streak at home against Holstein Kiel last matchday, they have picked up fewer points away from home. Furthermore, they haven’t managed a win in their last six away games – five draws and one loss. However, a closer look at these matches reveals the difficulty of these fixtures. A recent unlucky defeat in Dresden or games against a resurgent Bochum are just a couple of examples. SV 98’s last away victory was in Hannover last November. It’s about time for another win…

That Magdeburg possesses a strong playing style is evident in the fact that 28 of their 35 goals have come from open play. Darmstadt, on the other hand, have scored 32 of their 47 goals in this category. The gap widens considerably, however, when it comes to set pieces. While Darmstadt consistently excel in this area, having already scored 15 times, Magdeburg have only managed seven goals from them.

However, the Magdeburg players are quite accurate from outside the penalty area. They score just as often from set pieces as they do from long-range shots, with seven goals from outside the box being the best in the league.

What was that? Are FCM lacking that little bit of luck? They could be more clinical in front of goal. This is partly due to the fact that they hit the woodwork third most often in the league, a total of 14 times. But Darmstadt 98 are also struggling with this bad luck. Darmstadt have hit even harder: Florian Kohfeldt’s team have struck the woodwork 16 times – more than any other team in the league.

The team from eastern Germany has scored a surprisingly high number of goals – especially considering they are currently bottom of the table. They have scored as many as league leaders Schalke 04. However, Magdeburg’s biggest weakness is their defence. This season, FCM has conceded 41 clear-cut chances and, with 48 goals against, has conceded the second-most goals after Greuther Fürth (56).

Baris Atik played for Darmstadt on loan in the second half of the 2017/18 season. He currently wears the same blue and white colours, but with the logo of 1. FC Magdeburg on his chest. His personal record? It’s impressive. This second-division season, the former Darmstadt player has ten assists and scored four goals himself.

Darmstadt’s defence should also keep an eye on his attacking teammate, Mateusz Zukowski. He, too, is among the league’s top scorers. He has provided three assists and, with eleven goals, is currently fifth in the goalscoring charts.