Photo gallery: SV Darmstadt 98 loses 0-3 to 1. FC Kaiserslautern and remains bottom of the table
SV Darmstadt 98 experienced a bitter afternoon at the Betzenberg stadium. The Lilies suffered a 0-3 (0-1) defeat against 1. FC Kaiserslautern and remain at the bottom of the table with just one point after four matchdays. Their performance in the second half, in particular, is likely to be a topic of discussion.
Darmstadt certainly had opportunities to turn the game around in the first half. After Noah Weißhaupt was brought down in the penalty area, Lance Duijvestijn stepped up to take the penalty. However, his powerful shot struck the crossbar (29'). Instead of Darmstadt taking the lead, Sauer scored for Kaiserslautern shortly before halftime, making it 1-0.
After the break, SV 98 increasingly lost control of the game. The Lilies struggled to find solutions going forward and at times couldn't even manage to control the ball in the opposition's half. There was no response to going behind. In the 64th minute, Tazemeta made it 2-0 with a deflected shot, and in stoppage time, Berisha sealed the 3-0 victory.
The second half in particular was a clear step backwards. Darmstadt were outmatched by Kaiserslautern in almost every aspect. Coach Florian Kohfeldt spoke of a "lack of seriousness" after the match.
The extent of the disappointment after the performance was evident even after the final whistle. When the team faced the traveling supporters in front of the away section, the usual applause was absent. The fans sent the players back to the dressing room without a salute – a rare sight at SV Darmstadt 98.
There's not much time to process the results. The next challenge awaits this coming Friday: Arminia Bielefeld will be visiting the Böllenfalltor stadium.
(RED/SV98/as)
Pictures from the game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern:
