Photo gallery – Strong start after the break brings seventh consecutive home win
SV Darmstadt 98 remain a force to be reckoned with at the Böllenfalltor stadium. With a well-deserved 2-0 (0-0) victory against Holstein Kiel , the Lilies celebrated their seventh consecutive home win and further extended their impressive home record. After a sluggish first half, the team from southern Hesse decided the match within minutes shortly after the break.
The home side had to weather a dangerous situation early on. After a rebound, Kelati got a shot away, but Aleksandar Vukotic cleared it off the line for the already beaten Marcel Schuhen (4'). Darmstadt then had their first big chance when Akiyama fired a shot from close range after a corner, but the effort was blocked.
Numeracy and patience before the break
After just over twenty minutes, Darmstadt were playing with a man advantage: Müller received a second yellow card for a foul on Marseiler. Kiel subsequently sat deep and closed down the spaces. Despite having more possession, Darmstadt initially struggled to create clear-cut chances.
A quickfire double decides the game
After the break, Darmstadt looked transformed. A cross from Sergio López was converted by Isac Lidberg for an early lead (48'). Shortly afterwards, Niklas Schmidt increased the lead: after a pass from Luca Marseiler, the midfielder remained composed in front of Kiel's goalkeeper Weiner and slotted home to make it 2-0 (52').
As a result, Darmstadt controlled the match comfortably and allowed the visitors hardly any dangerous attacks. With 52 points after 25 matchdays, SV Darmstadt 98 underlined their strong season.
The best scenes from the home victory can be found in the photo gallery on DA.news .
