2. Garter
Düsseldorf (dpa) – setback for Darmstadt, damper for St. Pauli – the promotion race in the 2nd Bundesliga remains unpredictable.
Both top teams had to settle for a draw on matchday 26, but still moved up into the first two places. Because Werder Bremen lost for the first time under coach Ole Werner at 1. FC Heidenheim. The North Germans failed to regain the lead in the table with the 1:2 (0:1) and extend the lead over their competitors.
Bremen slips to third place
After nine wins and one draw in ten games, Bremen had to admit defeat again. As a result, Werder dropped from first to third place in the table, but are level on points with Darmstadt and St. Pauli (all 48 points). Heidenheim reported back in the promotion race and is six points behind Bremen in fifth place.
In front of 11,750 spectators, Christian Kühlwetter gave the hosts the lead in the 38th minute with a wonderful long-range shot. After the change of sides, Stefan Schimmer used a blunder by Bremen’s defender Anthony Jung to score the second goal (63′). The goal from Marvin Ducksch (89th) came too late for the guests. Heidenheim’s Marnon Busch saw the red card in the 87th minute for gross foul play. It was the first Bremen defeat since November 27, 2021 (1: 2 in Kiel).
Home premiere for Dresden’s Capretti
FC St. Pauli did not get more than 1: 1 (1: 1) at the home premiere of the new Dresden coach Guerino Capretti. In front of the maximum possible 16,000 spectators under Corona conditions, Christoph Daferner (20th) put Dynamo Dresden in the lead on Saturday. Former Dresdener Simon Makienok (42nd) equalized.
In the second game of the day, Düsseldorf also did well with an emergency team. After the last four games without defeat, the team, decimated by numerous corona cases, continued the upward trend that began when coach Daniel Thioune took office on February 8 with a 1-1 (1-0) win at SC Paderborn. Without the head coach, who was infected with the corona virus, and 14 professionals who were also affected, Florian Hartherz (43rd minute) provided the interim lead. Ron Schallenberg (90+3) scored to equalize in added time. “That’s definitely a point won,” commented the Düsseldorf goalscorer Hartherz despite the late goal.
Game cancellation in Hamburg
The third Saturday game between Hamburger SV and FC Erzgebirge Aue had been canceled the day before late in the evening because HSV did not have enough players available due to the corona.
SV Darmstadt felt how unpredictable the 2nd division is at the moment on Friday. In the home game against the relegation candidate Sandhausen, the previous second in the table did not get more than 1: 1 (1: 0). After Aaron Seydel (17th) took the lead, guest professional Ahmed Kutucu (84th) put a damper on the game with his equalizer. “It hurts at the moment, but you have to say: Nothing happened. We’re still in the middle of the music,” commented Lilien captain Fabian Holland.
Holstein Kiel had to accept a 2:3 (0:1) at FC Hansa Rostock. With the fourth defeat in a row, the third place in the previous year returned to the relegation battle after an interim high. The Rostockers took the lead three times through Pascal Breier (4th), John Verhoek (68th) and Hanno Behrens (81st). Alexander Mühling (50th) and an own goal by Calogero Rizzuto (71st) brought Kiel back twice. “It’s very frustrating. If you concede three goals, it’s difficult to win in Rostock,” complained Holstein coach Marcel Rapp.
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