First Home Defeat of the Season

In the opening minutes of Saturday evening’s top match, neither Darmstadt nor their visitors from Hannover managed any significant shots on goal. Hannover registered the first shot of the game after 14 minutes and promptly took the lead: Neubauer fired a shot from the edge of the penalty area, finding the far corner of the net.

Hannover had the next chances as well, but first the Darmstadt defence blocked Neubauer’s shot for a corner on 21 minutes, then Marcel Schuhen saved an attempt by Källmann just 3 minutes later. Darmstadt finally threatened the goal in the 29th minute, but Fynn Lakenmacher’s powerful effort flew wide of the left post.

From the 30th minute onward, the team from southern Hesse gained more control of the game and gradually threatened the goal. Patric Pfeiffer tried his luck from distance, but his effort didn’t seriously trouble goalkeeper Noll with 34 minutes played.

Just before the halftime whistle, the visitors threatened again, but Schuhen saved Källmann’s attempt with his foot. So, after 45 minutes, SV 98 went into the break trailing by a single goal.

After the restart, the game was evenly matched for long stretches, but neither side created any clear-cut chances. However, just as in the first half, the visitors capitalised on their first opportunity of the half: After a quickly taken free kick, Thordarson’s initial shot was saved by Marcel Schuhen, but he nodded the rebound into the net after 57 minutes.

The 98ers struggled to find solutions against the well-organised visitors and thus rarely threatened. With a good 15 minutes remaining, Fraser Hornby found himself in a promising position after a cross from Sergio López, but he didn’t connect cleanly with the ball.

Eight minutes later, Fynn Lakenmacher got his head to the ball, but his effort lacked power. The introduction of Yosuke Furukawa gave some impetus, but after his initial dribble, his shot was too central and easily saved by the keeper with 6 minutes remaining. In the second minute of added time, Hornby came close to pulling one back, but his header only struck the crossbar.