With the right mindset and positive development

Vukotic’s response. It epitomises the team’s character during this currently difficult phase. The centre-back hadn’t looked good when the team fell behind 1–0 after four minutes, but he battled his way into the match. He then rewarded his efforts by scoring the crucial goal to put his side 2–1 ahead in the second half. These two moments defined both his afternoon and the team’s—and demonstrated the importance of staying focused after making a mistake. Vukotic and his teammates managed to pull themselves out of that early hole. „For me, how I react after a mistake is crucial,“ the Serbian explained after the final whistle. It is a trait his coach also highlighted: „I like players who don’t completely fall apart after making a mistake.“ The head coach clearly identified the error that led to the goal conceded, yet just as clearly stood by his centre-back—because how a player handles a setback is also part of evaluating a performance.

The reaction to falling behind. Just four minutes in, the Lilies were already trailing—a start that, given their season so far, could easily have caused further unrest, especially since the visitors had other chances. Yet, Darmstadt stayed in the game and found their way back through Noah Weißhaupt before the break. Marcel Schuhen hit the nail on the head: „Despite falling behind so early, we didn’t lose our heads.“ That resilience was exactly what the South Hessian side needed, as the path to a home victory was far from straightforward. An early chance for Marco Richter to equalise went begging, and the opening phase caused the hosts some trouble. However, SV 98 held firm and could have leveled the score midway through the first half via a follow-up shot from Hojae Lee. They found their rhythm—certainly by the time they made it 1–1.

Match control and game management. The Lilies put a tremendous amount of effort into establishing that rhythm. Around the 30-minute mark, they began to get a better handle on the dangerous attack led by Butler and Cigerci. Their central interplay clicked, particularly after the break. The result: the team from Lusatia—whose attacking play has been so impressive this season—struggled to make any impact in the second half. Substitutions also proved effective, highlighting the squad’s quality. Hiroki Akiyama and Lance Duijvestijn clearly benefited the hosts‘ game, while Yannik Lührs—coming off the bench to score the 3–1 goal—helped ensure a relatively comfortable closing phase from Darmstadt’s perspective. The Lilies were able to extend their lead, seal the win, and take away something particularly valuable in their current situation: points and confidence in their own development. „Two wins from the last three games—that really builds confidence,“ Kohfeldt assessed following the „well-deserved victory.“

Defensive coordination at the start: The victory didn’t change the fact that the Lilien gave the visitors too much space in the first half. An individual error preceded the early goal conceded, and the pressing movements weren’t yet sufficiently synchronised. Kohfeldt saw a need for improvement, particularly regarding the way the second line of the press moved up in support. Consequently, moments from the first half serve as illustrative material for future work: „It’s a good instructional video on how to press—and how not to.“

Consistency is another area requiring work. An international break crucial for development, a well-deserved home win, two victories in the last three matches—there were good reasons to leave the stadium satisfied. Nevertheless, the Lilien players—and especially their head coach—maintained a clear-eyed view of the match during their analysis. „Our development is far from complete. And did we play a top-tier match and put in a perfect 90-minute performance here? Absolutely not,“ noted Kohfeldt, while emphasizing in the same breath: „But these phases are getting longer, and we’re managing to pick up points and results during them. And that’s a really good idea in the second division: get the points first, then talk about development.“