The away game got off to a particularly unfortunate start from the Lilies‘ perspective: After Sergio Lopez’s misplaced pass, Jan Thielmann appeared unmarked in front of the goal and scored to give Köln an early lead inside the first minute. The visitors struggled to shake off their shock. After seven minutes, Aleksandar Vukotic at least had the first chance on goal following a corner.
The game was evenly matched for the first quarter of an hour. Darmstadt repeatedly attempted to bypass Köln’s defence with passes, while the home side tried to press early. Overall, despite the early setback, SV 98 showed courage and repeatedly tried to pose problems for their opponents. The Lilies persisted – and were rewarded for their efforts: After a high ball to Fraser Hornby, referee Florian Heft awarded a penalty. Heintz rightly being penalised for handball as the ball struck his hand high above his head. Hornby grabbed the ball and coolly converted from the spot to level after 25 minutes.
For a long time afterward, both sides neutralised each other, with the action taking place mainly between the penalty areas. Towards the end of the first half, the visitors gained the upper hand and began to gain more and more possession. However, the pressure phase prevented any real chances from developing, and the teams went into the break with the score at 1-1.
Shortly after the restart, the South Hesse side had a great opportunity to even take the lead. Merveille Papela won the ball in midfield, and then things moved very quickly. On the counterattack, Hornby played a one-two with Luca Marseiler, and goalkeeper Schwäbe parried the Lilien striker’s direct shot. At the other end, Waldschmidt’s direct shot missed the target, 7 minutes into the half. A few seconds later, Schuhen was called into action on the next attack: Huseinbasic’s shot from a central position swept over Schuhen’s goal for a corner. After the furious start to the second half, the game calmed down somewhat but remained fast-paced overall.
In the 67th minute, the Lilien were down a man. Goalscorer Hornby was sent off for a second yellow card. Köln then increased the pressure and had a chance to take the lead in the 72nd minute. After a low cross, Finkgräfe appeared in the six-yard box, but steered the ball wide of the goal. From then on, the Billy Goats pushed their opponents deep into their own half, but Darmstadt fought back bravely and racked up many defensive meters. The next blow came in the 81st minute: In a challenge between Hübers and Lidberg, Köln vehemently claimed a penalty and surrounded the referee again; he went to the screen and despite contact being debatable, he pointed to the spot. It was a controversial penalty, but Waldschmidt converted it to make it 2-1.
In a turbulent period of stoppage time, both teams had chances, and Vukotic even had a header to equalise for the Lilies in the 8th minute of added time. Ultimately, however, the 2-1 victory remained for the hosts.
