First Season Defeat

The home side had a bit more of the game at the start, but without creating any clear chances. That changed in the 10th minute when Marlon Ritter tested Lilien goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen with a powerful shot but straight at the keeper. SV 98, who started with a back three, found it somewhat difficult to get their attacks going in the early stages. But then the Lilies really came into their own: Corredor chipped the ball delicately into the penalty area, where Merveille Papela, running in, headed onto the crossbar. Isac Lidberg fired the follow-up shot over the bar from a promising position on 12 minutes. The game then picked up pace, as Richmond Tachie shot from a tight angle, but Schuhen was able to parry it.

Fraser Hornby also stepped up, but his header from a corner didn’t prove a major challenge for FCK goalkeeper Krahl after 16 minutes. The game remained fast-paced afterward, but the chances were slowed. Tachie plucked up a courageous effort in the 28th minute, but narrowly missed the target – Schuhen would have been there to save it. Until halftime, both teams only created half-chances, so the score remained 0-0.

After the restart, the South Hesse side approached the opponent’s goal for the first time in the 54th minute, when Lidberg headed over the bar after a Marseiler cross. The next opportunity came shortly afterward in the 57th minute when Papela had a shot blocked. Lidberg finally broke the spell: the Swede poked a low cross into the near post to make it 1-0 for the visitors in the 62nd minute. Nürnberger provided the low cross for Lidberg after a sumptuous long ball from Patric Pfeiffer had found the Bulgarian. Hornby could have increased the lead after 74 minutes, but Krahl parried the direct shot.

Two minutes later, FCK made their presence felt again, but Prtajin fired the ball wide. Sirch also narrowly missed his target with a free kick. The Red Devils subsequently intensified their efforts and were rewarded: Skyttä fired the ball into the net to make it 1-1 with 6 minutes remaining. But that wasn’t enough. In the first minute of stoppage time, Alidou ghosted into the area and headed the ball into the Darmstadt net, and just before the final whistle, Raschl made it 3-1 with the Lilies high up the pitch trying to force an equaliser.