In the first game after the Corona break, the Lilies suffered a 0-2 defeat against Karlsruher SC. Photo: Florian Ulrich
KARLSRUHE – It was a strange atmosphere in front of empty stands, but you will have to get used to it. The idea that not only these, but probably also parts of the next football season will be held with the exclusion of spectators, makes one shudder. Because the term ghost game does not even begin – the atmosphere in an empty stadium is just creepy. The game on Saturday between Karlsruher SC and SV Darmstadt 98 gave the impression of a friendly game that no one had really looked forward to.
The lilies had only arrived on the match day from the quarantine training camp in the Golf Hotel Gernsheim in two buses to Karlsruhe, just under 100 kilometers away. Matthias Bader was not there because he had to fit due to muscular problems. Patrick Herrmann started for him. Compared to the last game before the Corona compulsory break in mid-March against VfL Bochum (0-0), Seung-Ho Paik was preferred to Mathias Honsak.
The long break was felt by both teams. In the first half, not much came together in the Karlsruhe Wildpark Stadium. The lilies let the Karlsruhe come. But the penultimate table came up with little.
Darmstadt goalkeeper Marcel only got the first shot by Marvin Wanitzek on his goal after 20 minutes. But this attempt was just as harmless as that of Philipp Hofmann (24th). The best chance in the first round was given to the lilies in their first (and only) thoughtful attack. After fine preliminary work, Yannick Stark was completely free to shoot, but he clearly missed the KSC goal (35.). But that’s it in the first section.
After the change, the Darmstadt residents had another good chance. Paik again did the preliminary work, but Marvin Mehlem’s shot narrowly missed the goal. After an hour, coach Grammozis made a double change (five player changes are possible from this matchday). For Mehlem and Paik, Honsak and Tim Skarke joined the team, who were lucky just a minute later that a Daniel Gordon header just touched the crossbar. Shortly thereafter, the ball fidgeted in the Darmstadt network. After a corner kick from just substituted Marc Lorenz, Philipp Hofmann scored in the 67th minute to make it 1-0 for the KSC – the Darmstadt defense looked bad. The SV 98 had a chance to equalize in the 80th minute after a free kick from Kempe, but a volley from Fabian Holland blocked a Karlsruhe player.
In the final phase, the lilies threw everything forward. But it was not until injury time that there was another glimmer of hope. A header from Mathias Honsak just missed the target. In the subsequent counterattack, the KSC closed the sack. Wanitzek scored the 2-0 (90 + 3).
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