Without the so-called "miracle of Bielefeld", the 4-2 success in the relegation promotion game in 2014, SV Darmstadt 98 would hardly be like this today. As an established second division club with a completely renewed infrastructure and a strong sporting drive to the top. The unforgettable success in May 2014 was also the last victory that the South Hesse managed at Arminia. The match this Saturday (13.00 clock in the F.A.Z. live ticker for the 2nd Bundesliga and Sky) is for the second league leader game one after the tear of the series of 21 undefeated league games.
The 0:1 in Heidenheim does not lead to "that we want to make ourselves unrelaxed in the pants," said coach Torsten Lieberknecht with a smile. And added more seriously: "A defeat can sometimes be a win."
They used the week "to remind us of a few things. What has made us strong so far? And what will continue to make us strong?" Although substitute-weakened Darmstadt against physically incredibly strong Heidenheimer did not really come into play, the relegation-threatened Arminia is a smaller-caliber opponent.
No reward for the effort
Whereby after the separation of the long-standing sports director Samir Arabi and coach Daniel Scherning during the week, the concrete game preparation has been made more difficult. Uwe Koschinat has taken over the coaching office at Bielefeld's Bundesliga relegated team. "This makes it all the more important that we push through our own game," says Lieberknecht.
Until the final whistle. In the first leg, the Darmstadt team allowed the 1-1 equalizer after pressing superiority against a weak opponent in the last minute. It was one of the few games in this strong season in which the "Lilies" could not reap the rewards for their efforts.
Lieberknecht was able to welcome some of the convalescents in training again this week, which is urgently needed in order to be able to regulate the workload of the highly stressed, because healthy core staff. Matthias Bader (testicular surgery) and Yannik Müller (torn muscle) have returned for defence, Braydon Manu (muscular problems) and even Aaron Seydel, who has been permanently injured again this season, are available again for the defence.